KonMari Folding 101: How to Fold Clothes Like a Pro

One of the biggest benefits of KonMari folding is how many of your clothes you can fit in a small space.

So whether you have a tiny closet or are limited in hanging space, file folding your clothes the KonMari way is the answer.

And it’s a lot easier than it might first appear.

Let’s go.

I’m just going to go ahead and assume you’ve already decluttered your clothing using the KonMari Method. After all, you don’t have to fold what you don’t have. 💃

But if not, you’ll want to start there. Here’s a thorough post I wrote on how to KonMari your clothes, with all my best tips and tricks.

What’s different about KonMari folding?

Marie Kondo made waves when she demonstrated her folding technique.

Why?

In short, she made folded clothes stand upright of their own accord. Ta-da! 🤗

This means no more t-shirts flopping about in your drawers, or items getting buried and forgotten at the bottom of a pile.

Instead, you can see everything you have at a glance and your drawer remains neat and tidy. 👕👖

And if nothing else it’s a nifty little party trick that’s very satisfying to pull off.

It has the added benefit of saving space, especially if hanging isn’t an option.

You’ll be amazed at how much more you can fit into a drawer when you use the KonMari fold to store your clothes.

What should you fold vs. hang

Marie Kondo says that you should fold as many of your clothes as possible, unless it sparks more joy to hang them.

I’ll be completely honest with you, now that I live in a home with a larger closet I hang almost everything. I do still fold a few things but, overall, I find hanging is quicker and easier.

However, when I lived in a home with limited hanging space, KonMari folding was a game-changer.

It was especially handy for baby clothes because those generally fare better in a drawer than hanging up.

How to fold clothes the KonMari way (KonMari folding like a pro)

In short, your job is to create a long rectangle with your item of clothing, and then fold it as many times as is necessary so that it’s sturdy enough to stand upright on its own.

Now I could try walk you through it in text but if you’re a visual person like me you’re going to prefer a video demonstration.

So here’s how to fold clothes the KonMari way, plus my own personal tweaks that make it work better for me.

I included as many items of clothing as I could think of, including socks and underwear, so you should find everything you need.

Below the video you’ll find timestamps. That way if there’s a specific item you want to learn how to fold you can just jump straight to it.

And once you’re done watching, scroll down for a few final words on the best way to store your clothes, both the items you’re folding and the ones you’re hanging.

TIMESTAMPS:
T-Shirts (short-sleeved) 1:54 • T-shirts (long-sleeved) 3:05 • Tank-tops, vests, etc. 4:14 • Shirts/blouses 5:14 • Sweaters/jumpers 6:32 • Hoodies 7:34 • Dresses 9:00 • Skirts 9:56 • Jeans & trousers 10:07 • Underwear (full brief & thong) 11:20 • Boxers 13:32 • Bras 13:57 • Socks (regular & ankle) 14:18 • Tights 15:24 • Swimwear (full costume & bikini) 15:57

(On a personal note, this is the first video that ever went viral for me and catapulted my career as a content creator. I’ve considered re-making it multiple times because, frankly, it’s several years old at this stage and I know I could do better now. But it’s racked up almost 3 million views so I guess if it ain’t broke… 💁)

How to organise your closet the KonMari way

How to store KonMari-folded clothes

Folding your clothes is only half the battle; now you need to know the best way to store them. Let’s start with your drawers.

Items in your drawers should be standing upright so you can easily see everything you have at a glance.

Darker items should be near the back, with lighter items in front.

How to store hanging clothes the KonMari way

For the stuff you do end up hanging, longer and darker items should be on the left side, with shorter and lighter items to the right.

This ‘rise to the right’ effect is supposed to make your closet feel uplifting. ↗️

(Personally I need shorter items on the left, otherwise they’d be hidden behind all the bigger, bulkier stuff, so this doesn’t work for me.

But ‘rise to the right’ is the official KonMari way if it works for you or if you’re a stickler for rules.)

Isn’t KonMari folding a lot of work? 😰

It may sound a little cumbersome or rigid and, truthfully, it can be. But I’d highly recommend giving it a go nonetheless.

You may find you prefer it to your old way of doing things and you save a lot of space.

Or, like me, you can take the elements that work for you and leave the rest.

And look, folding underwear and socks isn’t for everyone but personally I find it quite meditative.

(My daughter, on the other hand, finds it maddening and is happy to fling things into a drawer any-which-way. She doesn’t even match up her socks, preferring to rock mismatched pairs instead. 🧦 Each to their own.)

If you want to learn more, I have a complete guide to the KonMari Method right here. In it, I take you through absolutely everything from start to finish, with all my best advice for tackling it as quickly and painlessly as possible.

You’ll be a Kondo pro in no time. 😉

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