Do Your Clothes Spark Joy? Konmari Organizing Helped Me Find Out

I think this is the first time in my life I actually asked myself if the clothing I wear makes me happy. Having been a plus-size woman all my life, I settled for wearing clothes that fit and served the needed function.  Shopping for clothing was not something I liked to do. So, when I started the Konmari method of tidying and organizing, I worried that if I only kept the clothing I loved, I wouldn't have anything left.  Before I even started the process, I was planning to cheat and keep things that fit even if I didn't love them. (Bad me!) Thankfully, I talked myself into using the Konmari method as Marie wrote it.

If you are not familiar with the Konmari method of tidying, let me tell you a little bit about it.  Marie Kondo is from Japan where they have small living spaces. Tidying is something she has loved since she was 5.  When you use her method, you don't clean one room at a time. Instead, you sort one category at a time. This helps you see how much you actually have. It helps reduce duplicates. After all, how many of us actually need 5 can openers? (Yes, I have can openers stashed with my camping gear, in kitchen drawers, and even in my toolbox.)

Marie suggests that you begin with clothing since most of us are not sentimentally attached to our clothing in the same way we are photos or other mementos. You gather all your clothing in one place. You pick up each item and ask, "Does this spark joy?" If yes, you keep it. If no, you let it go. To make the process a little less messy, you can breakdown clothing into subcategories. These are tops, bottoms, clothing to hang (dresses, suits), socks/tights, underwear, bags, accessories and special occasion.  Once you've selected the things that "spark joy", you hang your clothing with the long items on the left and the shorter items on the right. When you look in your closets, this visually lifts your mood. Since I have two closets in my RV, I could hang my tops. Otherwise, Marie is famous for her folding method that allows you to see everything you own.  Here is a YouTube video where she demonstrates folding clothes.

I'm sorry I didn't take more before photos, because my drawers and closets were absolutely stuffed before I sorted things out. The one "before" photo I took was of my underwear and socks drawer.  Marie requires that you gather everything in one place. Before I could sort things, I had to hunt around to find where I stashed things. I had underwear in boxes under my bed, in the bottom of closets and in drawers. Once I had everything in one place, I couldn't imagine how all my underwear would actually fit into this drawer. However, I could see the magic of this tidying process, so I just forged ahead.

Sorting my underwear and socks turned out to be easier than I imagined. First, I threw away all the ratty and worn out items. Why do I keep things that are worn out and broken? Why, why, why? Then I threw away anything that actually hurt when I wore it. If you are a woman and have ever worn an underwire bra, you know what I mean. Then using Marie's folding method, I put everything back in the drawer. IT WAS MAGIC! Everything actually fit in the drawer, except the sports bras which I decided to put in a drawer with my sweats and other sportswear. Now, when I open this dresser drawer I can see everything and it actually makes me feel a little bit happy to see it so tidy.

Next, I sorted my shoes, scarves, and belts. I kept all of them. If you know me, you know I don't own many of these kinds of accessories. Then, it was time to sort the jewelry. When I moved into the RV, I kept my large jewelry cabinet. Over the last few months, I decided that the jewelry box was too big for my new life. If I put it on the counter in the bedroom it blocked my window and all the beautiful views. If I put it on the counter in the bathroom, I kept bumping into it and bruising my arms. So, I now know that it no longer "sparks joy" for me. The jewelry I wear now as part of my new camper RV lifestyle is simple and doesn't need the protection of a special jewelry box. It easily fits into ice cube trays put into one of my bathroom drawers. This is actually more convenient since I put my jewelry on after I put on my makeup in the bathroom. (I bought the trays at Dollar General. I think they are nicer than plain white trays.)

Sorting bags was a little bit of a challenge for me. I love tote bags, backpacks and all kinds of bags. But, if I am honest, I don't need all of them and not all of them "spark joy" for me anymore. Some of the bags were helpful when I was a teacher, but now I don't need them. In the end, I kept the backpack from my trip to Spain (yes, it definitely sparks joy), a backpack for my laptop, a lunch bag, my essential oils tote bag, a striped tote bag for pool days, my purse, a fancy event bag, a fanny bag (want to replace this eventually), and a waterproof bag for when I swim at the beach.

I've only just started the Konmari tidying process and I am already in love with the new tidiness and organization of my RV. I can't wait to see how many other things I can move out of my motorhome by either throwing it away, donating it or selling it. Check back in a few days to see how the process went after I sort the next two categories: books and paper. I can share with you that I'm a little afraid.  I have a hard time letting go of things that I think I might want to read "someday", books I've had since childhood or finance stuff I don't know what to do with.

Have you ever used the Konmari method or another method to sort your clothing? If yes, how did it go?  How long did things stay tidy and organized?  Do you have any other tips or tricks you can share with us? Type these in the comments below. Thanks, friends.