I chose to use the KonMari method on my closet, focusing on the clothes hanging both inside and outside of it. This is not the first time I have used this method–  I have been using some form of the  KonMari method over the years to tackle the constant accumulation of clothes whether in my closet or my dresser. This exercise was approached with some resistance as I felt like I was not ready to purge. I find myself periodically binging and purging on clothing. I did not feel like it was time to go through this process yet. However, for the sake of this exercise it had to be time.

Certain times I feel comforted by the abundant selection of clothes that I have. Clothing has been a means to express myself over the years. My shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, etc have allowed me to take on a chameleon form. Everyday of the week I have the opportunity to reveal different parts of my personality. I have been mindful and sometimes obsessive about what I am wearing because there is a large part of me that believes in the idea that clothing guides people’s interpretations of one another. I believe this attitude toward clothing is a byproduct of having four sisters- each with a completely different style. Throughout middle school and high school I was constantly face first in their closets looking, touching, and taking their clothes. Also I am fourth in line so clothing would also trickle down and I would be given massive amounts of hammy-downs. I started doing this biannual purge in the beginning of college. With minimal space in dorm rooms, I felt extremely overwhelmed by the amount of clothing I owned especially because I didn’t wear a lot of it. This clearing of clothes, in the beginning, just gave me more room to fill my closet back up until I reached that same point of angst. As I get older and continue this process though I refill less and less as clothing does not play as significant of a role in my life as it used to.

“Inhales”

Although I have been going through this process for a quite a while, I still seem to take away something new from the experience. This time it began with me noticing the shear amount of things that I have hanging outside of my closet. The outside of my closet is filled with hoodies, sweaters, scarves, jackets, towels. I had a hard time getting rid of these items especially during the winter months.  These items are what get me through this season and with that bring me joy.  Additionally, I find that i keep extras of these items just in

Inhales even deeper

case a friend is over and cold or wants to change into something else. Being able to provide that article of clothing for that person is meaningful to me and brings me satisfaction/joy. I was apprehensive to go through these items but, I had to be realistic–whether you have five sweaters or twenty, you can let a friend borrow a sweater and since that’s the case, I would rather I have only five. Also going through this process, both inside of the closet and out, I did not realize how many articles of clothing I completely forgot I owned. That sort of stupefied me and informed a new relationship to my objects–Only own the things you can recall/remember.  I loved getting to interact with these items again and being reminded of the times I spent wearing them but realistically they were forgotten for a reason in many cases– something was too small, had a stain, doesn’t really match anything else, etc. That was a key indicator for the things I knew I needed to get rid of. Also another indicator is the “6 month rule” meaning that if I haven’t worn it in six months then it’s time to depart with it. (this is taking into consideration the seasons) The more I continue to narrow down the selection of clothes I have the more relaxed I feel I am finding. I feel much more transient and in touch with the style I want to portray at this current stage in my life. Now what is left is a big white bag filled of clothes that will either find their way into the homes of my friends or goodwill.

Exhales with joy

Exhales feeling accomplished