Wardrobe Decluttering a la Marie Kondo: Lessons Learned

According to Marie Kondo, the magic of tidying up is life-changing. She claims that applying the KonMari Method amps up your decision-making ability. You’ll become clear about what you love and what you need. This learning process changed the way I organize my home and hugely influenced my relationship with my clothes. For me, decluttering my clothes a la Marie Kondo had been an essential step to a well-curated wardrobe full of clothes I love to wear.

Let me share with you my most important lessons learned decluttering my clothes a la Marie Kondo:

Lesson 1: Things Are in Your Space For a Reason

I remember starting with a wardrobe packed with clothes and ending up with just a few items. I had accumulated far too many clothes that didn’t spark joy. It was painful to see that I had spent almost a fortune on clothes I had never worn. But I followed Marie Kondo’s recommendations and kept on asking myself questions like “When, where, and why did I buy this specific item?”, “Why have I never worn it?”, “What is this item teaching me?”. And I concluded that every piece of clothing was in my space for a reason.

Things are in your space for a reason. People, too. Click To Tweet

Lesson 2: You Can’t Buy Happiness …

Marie Kondo wrote that we tend to accumulate material things for the same reason we overeat: to satisfy a craving. ‘Having things’ can obviously create a moment of comfort for us. Just like comforting food does. The problem is that, similar to an excess of food that stubbornly stays on our hips, our home quickly becomes a busy mess with an excess of things. Both affect our mind and overall well-being. 

"We tend to accumulate material things for the same reason we overeat: to satisfy a craving." – Marie Kondo Click To Tweet

The same applies to our wardrobe. Personally, I had purchased the majority of my clothes in a phase when I was miserable. I didn’t like my job, and my lifestyle didn’t do anything good for me. During that time, I had also put on quite some weight. I was definitely miles away from feeling and looking my best. I obviously did both overeating and buying an excess of clothes because I unconsciously thought it made me happier.

Lesson 3: … But The Things You Have Can Contribute to Your Happiness

You can’t buy happiness, but the things you have can contribute to your happiness. This sounds contradictory. What I want to say is, what you buy can never compensate for a lack of joy, connection, or peace of mind. ‘Things’ can only support our efforts to create an environment and lifestyle that serves us. Clothes we love to wear and make us feel our best, for example, can make us feel confident and uplifted. But they can’t solve problems for us. Today, I see my clothes and all other possessions differently, more like appreciated accessories to a simply elegant lifestyle, if that makes sense.

Lesson 4: There Are Questions to Answer Beyond ‘Does It Spark Joy?’

Taking the time to assess every piece of clothing we own is definitely worth the effort. But to really profit from the exercise, we should ask ourselves some questions that go beyond ‘does it spark joy?’. Not only to create a realistic and helpful wardrobe inventory. But also to prevent us from going overboard with decluttering. Something I did in the past and still regret. This is why I absolutely recommend planning your wardrobe first – before you start decluttering your clothes. Here are some posts that deal with these challenges:

• Wardrobe Inventory: Questions Beyond ‘Does It Spark Joy?’
• The Ultimate Guide to a Well-Curated Wardrobe

Lesson 5: The Magic Fold *Is* Magic

As you probably know, Marie Kondo favors folding clothes as opposed to piling them. When you fold your clothes and store them upright, you can easily keep an overview of your belongings. Moreover, all items become equally important. Meaning, you no longer use only the ones that are on top of a pile. Learning Marie Kondo’s ‘magic’ folding technique took a bit of practice. But now I love folding my clothes and arranging them nicely in my drawers. And have I mentioned how much space I save? 

Lesson 6: Downsizing Makes Getting Dressed Simple

One final lesson learned is that since I decluttered my clothes and reorganized my closet, getting dressed takes significantly less time than ever. Having fewer clothes and owning only what I love ensures that whatever item I pick is a perfect match. Everything in my clutter-free, downsized wardrobe makes me feel cozy and confident. And, of course, I want to keep it that way. This is why I plan my wardrobe carefully and shop mindfully and smart. 

Is it Worth the Effort to Declutter Your Clothes a la Marie Kondo?

Yes, it is. By decluttering our clothes, we gain a complete overview of our belongings. It makes us aware of what we already own, what we love, and what no longer serves us. And this is unquestionably a perfect starting point for a well-curated, joy-bringing wardrobe.

About the KonMari Method

In case you’re not familiar with the KonMari Method yet, this post is for you:

• The KonMari Method: All You Need to Know

And when you’re ready to start your decluttering journey, get my free printable checklist to guide you through and track your progress.

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Printable KonMari Decluttering Checklist

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More Tips and Inspirations

If you want to get decluttering off your mental to-do list once and for all, don’t miss my post on how to live a decluttered life. This comprehensive guide explains 5 reasons why it’s worth it to declutter and shows 5 different ways to do so (KonMari plus 4 other decluttering methods). The article also dives deeper into decluttering specific areas like your personal belongings, home, and workplace. And I added tips on how to deal with mental clutter and which new habits can help maintain a decluttered life over the long run.

• How to Live a Decluttered Life (a Comprehensive Guide)

I’ve also summarized my most important lessons learned decluttering my entire home:

• Home Decluttering a la Marie Kondo: Lessons Learned

In this post, I talk about another category, papers – including tips that go beyond the KonMari Method:

• How to Declutter and Reduce Paperwork to a Minimum

In case your digital life needs some attention too, these posts can help:

• How to Declutter and Enrich Your Social Media Life
• How to Declutter Your Inbox and Reduce Email Stress
• Declutter and Better Organize Digital Files in 5 Steps

Like the idea of less, but luxe! …? Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more tips and inspiration. Plus, join my email list to receive regular updates and content exclusively available to my readers!

What are your biggest learnings from decluttering your wardrobe? Do you have similar experiences? Leave a reply. I’d love to hear from you!