
I’ve finished the ‘Clothing’ category of the KonMari Method (read my intro post if you don’t know what the KonMari Method is) and thought I’d give you an update. Long story short: It sucked… but was totally worth it.
But now for the long story… 😉
Calling it ‘clothing’ was perhaps slightly misleading, seeing as it involved not just items of clothing but also socks, underwear, swimwear, workout gear, belts, hats, gloves, scarves, shoes, and bags. (I also included jewellery.) Basically, anything that you might wear as part of an outfit.
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KonMari sub-category: Items of clothing (tops, bottoms, hanging clothes)
I started off with just items of clothing and, in total, it took me about 7 hours (including snack and bathroom breaks). About an hour and a half of that was just collecting all my clothes together (they were scattered all throughout the house which, in itself, was eye-opening) and removing them from hangers. I then spent about an hour dividing them into tops, bottoms, suits, dresses, and outwear, and counting how many items were in each pile. ‘Cause I’m weird like that.
Tops took me an hour, bottoms took me an hour, and suits, dresses and outwear took me an hour.
It probably won’t take you that long because you’re most likely a lot more sane than I am. You also won’t make the mistake of stopping to take 20 billion pictures of your pile only to realise that you’d forgotten about all the clothes on a shelf in your husband’s wardrobe, and then having to re-take the 20 billion pictures. *sigh*



I got rid of almost half of my clothing. Pretty impressive seeing as I’d already done a pretty big decluttering spree just after Christmas. I’m down from 241 items to 142. Still not exactly a capsule wardrobe, but I love it!

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KonMari sub-category: socks & underwear
The following day, I tackled socks and underwear (too much of the former and not enough of the latter, it seems). It was a reasonably quick process, taking about an hour, and I ended up getting rid of just over half this sub-category. (I am now desperately in need of new underwear sets!)
No pictures because… perverts. 😛
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KonMari sub-category: bags
I had no idea I had so many bags, especially given my general attitude of “if it doesn’t fit in my pocket, it ain’t coming with me”. 37 in total. But what was even MORE shocking was the stuff I found inside them!

If that’s not clear enough for ya, here’s a long list of the crazy contents:
- 4 hair clips
- 1 pair of touchscreen gloves (I’d been looking for these!)
- 1 pack of paracetamol
- 1 pack of cold & flu tablets
- 1 pair of silver hoop earrings
- 1 box of ear-thermometer filters (?!)
- case papers for work
- 1 snack bar
- moisturiser
- lip balm
- 1 pair of shoes (!)
- 1 pack of tissues
- various letters
- coins
- receipts
- a book
- 1 pen
- 1 hair comb
- 1 bar of chocolate (best before December 2012 *cough*)
- appointment cards
- leaflets
- 1 tub of vitamins
- skincare samples
- 2 packets of Liga (for myself, not my daughter)
- throat lozenges
- phone charger cable
- small umbrella
- empty wrappers,
- a disgusting pile of mould that was, judging by the sticker, previously an apple, and
- MORE BAGS
But I’m down from 37 bags to 19, and have dumped or re-homed all the crap contents. And scrubbed my hands raw.

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KonMari sub-category: shoes
This was another area I’d recently purged so wasn’t expecting as many as I found. 66 in total. This category took me about an hour and a half, but a lot of that was spent laying them out and lining them up so I could take a picture of them all. I’m definitely a ‘flats’ kinda gal. You’ll mostly find me in a pair of Converse or some other parallel-to-the-floor footwear, so it was easy enough to ditch a lot of the heels. I’m down to 36 pairs (including boots, flip-flops, and running shoes).

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KonMari sub-category: accessories & event-specific clothes
Next on the chopping block were scarves, hats, belts, gloves, swimsuits, and workout gear. A very quick category, taking only about 30 minutes to complete. I rarely swim or workout, so that gear was minimal. But, given that I live in Ireland, I should probably have a few more hats & gloves! I started with 31 items and ended with 21.

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KonMari sub-category: jewellery
This took me about 90 minutes, purely because the items were so small and fiddly. I took everything that was in a box out, and have since dumped the boxes (bar some very special ones, i.e. wedding related) because, let’s face it, I’m never going to need them and it’s far too much hassle taking jewellery out and putting it back in every time I wear it. Instead, they’re all in my GIANT jewellery box. (I’ve included the book — white cover — in the photo for scale.)

I started with 118 items (I didn’t include wedding jewellery, and I counted sets like stacked bangles and pairs of earrings as 1); I finished with 57. And a smile on my face.

So that’s it for ‘clothing’. It took me a week to complete the full category, working in chunks of time here and there. (I should say that the time involved didn’t include actually putting everything away afterwards, which took an extra few hours spread over the following week or two. Or three. *cough*)
I’ve included a video of my thoughts on the process, including some things I learned along the way, so give that a watch if you’re interested in the process and, in particular, if you’re hesitant about starting it yourself.
And that’s a wrap! I’ll be back soon with a progress report on the next category: books. (Don’t worry, it won’t be nearly as lengthy!)
If you’ve completed the KonMari Method (or, at least, some of it), how did you fare? Any words of wisdom to share with the group?
Or are you thinking of starting? Any questions or concerns? Drop them in the comments below!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need a long lie down!
18 responses
A few days ago, I tidied my room with the Konmarie method and I threw out three bags full of clothes I really didn´t need anymore, so I have double or more space, and I feel very good about it
That’s amazing, Rosana! Well done! It’s surprising how much stuff we hold on to, even though we never use it.
Do you plan on doing the rest of the Method too?
I tried the Konmarie method but I find that my tee shirts are way more wrinkled that by just folding them the regular way and stacking them. It is much easier to find the one you want, but then I have to iron it. Does anyone else have this problem or am I doing something incorrectly?
I’ve never been able to get them completely wrinkle-free by folding them any way (KonMari or otherwise) so no, you’re not alone. I just keep them as flat as I can before and during folding, and then don’t worry about any wrinkles thereafter. =)
Hi Laura, I found your blog by accident and it is encouraging that other people need help to gyst!!
I just read the KonMarie book which was a Xmas gift. I thought it was interesting but also idealistic especially since the author lives alone…
Just wondering about your thoughts /experience on maintaining the tidiness 6 months after starting?
Do you still think it was worth the big effort?
Also how does it go with your husband and daughter ?
Any other feedback would be most welcome.
Thanks, Sarah (Australia)
Hi Sarah! It certainly is idealistic if you live with others who aren’t on board. (The author actually has a husband and gave birth to a daughter a few months ago so I’ll be interested to see if she revises the book based on her new circumstances!) Two rooms I’ve particularly struggled with are the master bedroom and office, because those areas mainly house my husband’s stuff. My plan is to try to “hide” as much of that stuff as possible behind doors, in boxes, drawers, etc. so that, at a glance, the room still feels uncluttered. I still think it was worth the effort, as it’s made cleaning in general much easier (particularly in the living areas and kitchen) and things like getting dressed, etc. are much quicker now. So it has had many benefits for me personally. But I feel that, with my husband and daughter, I’ll never be able to reap the full rewards. It’s hard, but I do think that doing as much as you can is better than doing nothing, so I’d still recommend giving it a go!
If you’re interested, I’ll actually have a video coming up in January sharing my thoughts on the entire Method, so you could subscribe to my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/HowToGYST. Or ‘like’ the Facebook page, as I’ll be posting a link there too: http://www.facebook.com/HowToGYST.
I’d love to hear how you get on with it if you do decide to take the plunge. =)
Thanks Laura, I have started on clothes but just purged the easy stuff out of the wardrobe, collecting everything together today.
I agree that maintaining will not be perfect with my husband and boys but still better than it was.
I watched a Google video special seminar by Marie Kondo yesterday and she believes children aged 3+ can be trained to put things away in their spot.
I have known for some time that my kids are messy because I am disorganised and procrastinating.
So I think this process will help us centralise like things together so we all know where they belong.
Thanks for your blog and videos – they are very thorough and helpful.
Cheers, Sarah
Well done for getting started! Step by step is how we get to great things, no matter how big or small those steps are. =)
My daughter is 2 and, I have to say, is very good at putting away her things, but it was made so much easier once I had decluttered all her toys. Now she knows exactly where everything goes (rather than just “put those toy cars in the box… wherever it is”).
Finding a spot for everything is so incredibly important because it reduces the amount of excuses you can give yourself (and others can give you) about why something is left out.
So congratulations for taking a step towards a more organised life, and for leading your family by example. And be sure to take some time out yourself to actually enjoy it. =)
Love love love your blog. Just ran across it binge watching Konmarie on YouTube. I just did my clothes today and was absolutely shocked. I decluttered last May thinking I did great with 56 items of clothes gone. Today I got rid of 170. Wth!? Anyway I’m watching your toy video next to figure out how to declutter 6 and 2 year old boys toys. Ugh! Can’t wait to peruse through your blog more. Your wickedly funny.
Thanks so much! I try to keep things pretty realistic. 😉 Toys was probably the category that made the most difference in my home, so it’s definitely a great one to tackle! Keep an eye on the YouTube channel later this week because I’ll be uploading a video on my thoughts on the KonMari Method now that I’ve finished it. Just my personal insights, whether I kept it up, what I’d do differently, if I regret anything I got rid of… That sorta thing. =) Best of luck with your journey. It’s definitely an eye-opening one!
You are absolute awesomeness! Thank you for the valuable materials, tips and videos. I struggled with organization for my entire life until i discovered this KonMarie method after accidentally watching one of your organizing videos.
I immediately purchased the audible book and listened to the entire thing in two days. I found the e-book at my library and I am so excited to start I cant take it! I’m going to wait until my little ones are in daycare tomorrow and then it is off to the races!
Thank you for giving me permission to just GET RID OF IT and finally get my sh*t together!
That’s amazing, Engrid! LOVE the enthusiasm. Remember that the initial enthusiasm and motivation will inevitably wear off, but keep going! If you have any questions at all, I’m happy to answer if I can. =) BEST OF LUCK!
I was looking for something completely different, and there you were! Telling me I could GMST, what!?! Perfect timing really as I had started purging but didn’t know where to go from there. I tried this method of folding after watching your video and coming here to see what your blog was like. It’s like having a fairy godmother that tells it like it is in my brain! Love everything about you and your YouTube/blog. Thank you!
Well aren’t you the sweetest! Thank YOU. Best comment to wake up to. I’m so delighted you like the content, and that it’s helping you. Just remember that YOU’RE the one doing all the hard work, so it’s YOU who deserves all the praise. Give yourself a big ol’ pat on the back. 😀
I went through this process recently after listening to the audio book version of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up
Clothes are tricky since my husband and I dislike shopping for them so much that we tend to wear our stuff ragged. Plus as weird as this sounds I don’t wear pretty/normal clothes that often. At my job I have a uniform and when I get home I switch to workout gear, train and then hop into the shower and switch to lounge wear. So 5 days a week I have almost no need to get “dressed”. Then on the weekend I am ashamed to say I just wear workout clothes because then I am good for whatever comes up and really only change if we have plans to go out. I sometimes invent reasons to go out just so I can justify dressing up or doing extra laundry. I have 1 handbag and only that because women’s clothes are so stingy about pockets but I still rarely use it. I have 12 pairs of shoes which seems rather much considering I am barefoot whenever I am at home. My jewelry is more a decoration for the house than myself if I am honest because I don’t wear it often and usually forget I own jewelry when the occasion arises. One issue I really have is holding onto clothes of all different sizes as my clothing size fluctuates with small amounts of gain or loss (thyroid problems make weight maintenance very difficult). Just recently while chatting with hubby I was saying I need new jeans because nothing fits and he said “Do you like wearing jeans?” And I thought No actually I hate them and avoid wearing them whenever possible. Who says I have to have jeans?! I could have a different kind of pants! That was an epiphany for me. Hubbies issues is socks and work t-shirts. He had 32 raggedy t-shirts for working around the house and I said Do you think I am going to stop washing laundry for a month? He is down to 10 now but he still has a massive amount of socks (I put away laundry so it is a pain). My 11 year old daughter did pretty well about clothes, there was really only 1 thing she had outgrown that she could not let go of. I still have no idea what my style is, it has been alternating between Bohemian and punk but because I am older now I let go of a lot of the punk stuff which I had mostly stopped wearing in my 20s anyhow. Admittedly my daughter took some of my old clothes.
If you have a wardrobe that works for you, that’s great. As you and your husband observed, you don’t have to wear something or have a certain type of clothing just because it seems most other people do. If the clothes you have are serving you well and they bring you joy (or at least more joy than replacing them would), then that’s all that matters. =)