Poppy

Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method of Tidying for Clothing

I met with Poppy to discuss her vision for her clothing before commencing our KonMari session. This gave me an insight as to what wasn’t working for her. I saw how Poppy’s wardrobe/drawer unit were currently being utilised and noticed that she had some storage solutions which could be re-purposed to aid her clothing organisation.

Poppy loves fashion and had a lot of clothing that she struggled to locate due to a lack of an organisation and sheer quantity. I explained we start the KonMari Clothing category by gathering all her clothing in one place. The ideal place to lay all the items, is on the bed as then we can see all that she has. Poppy picked up each item, assessing if it Sparked Joy for her … if yes, the item was kept, if no, then it was placed in a pile to give to charity or sell, etc.

I had asked Poppy to choose her favourite items of clothing first, so that she could use these items that she loved as her benchmark to compare. The KonMari method is all about keeping and cherishing what you love. Poppy came across clothes that no longer Sparked Joy for her, these included items; she’d previously loved but knew she wouldn’t wear again, that were damaged, stuff that didn’t fit, items she didn’t know she even had … and clothes she’d never worn with the price tag still on!

It’s best to work through your clothing pile by sub-category, i.e. tops first, then dresses, skirts, etc so that you can see exactly what and how much you have in each sub-category. Any off-season items can be folded and stored in a suitcase/clothing storage bag. This often reduces the amount of clothing stored in the bedroom quite considerably. Most of Poppy’s off-season clothing items were jackets and coats, which were relocated to a hallway cupboard.

I explained to Poppy that the process of letting items go when they no longer Spark Joy makes us mindful and grateful not only of what we have and love … but it also makes us more conscious of our future purchasing decisions, i.e. do we love it? Do we really need it? Will we use it? Where will the item be stored – is there room?

Poppy passed the items to me that she loved/wished to keep and I demonstrated the wonderful KonMari method of folding, which is not only neat, tidy and aesthetically pleasing … it’s also the best space saving system too! Items such as T-Shirts can be folded, then stood upright and arranged with darkest colours at the back and lightest at the front.

Clothing of a slinky/lightweight fabric e.g. some dresses, or bulky clothing like coats or chunky jumpers, or fabrics that crease easily, should all be hung up … as these items are difficult to fold. Poppy could really see the benefits of the KonMari method as she now knew where everything was, it could be easily located, accessed and put away, simplifying her storage whilst looking very pretty.

One of the great things about the KonMari process is that you are left with only what you truly love, so Poppy’s wardrobe now has clothes that she’s happy to wear and choose an outfit from every day, she loves the transformation.

I have struggled to embrace mindfulness with a constant busy schedule, but the KonMari method taught to me by Sam has made me realise the joys of only surrounding myself with what I truly love, going through the process of letting go items has increased my consciousness and mindfulness when it comes to purchasing clothes. Sam is absolutely incredible at what she does and will put her heart and soul into making sure you are completely happy with everything she has done with you. You will never regret opening your mind to the joys of the KonMari clothing session!

Poppy Cooke