I started with T-shirts because Marie Kondo explained the best order was the clothes first then books, papers, komono and mementos. I felt this was my simplest form of clothing and the easiest to part with since the amount I know I have is excessive.
How many shirts stuffed in a small dresser drawer? 37
First, I took all the shirts out. I was shocked about the 37 shirts that could fit in on dresser drawer. This felt like the commercial for Olive Garden’s never ending pasta. They just kept on coming.
Now that I had a mountain of only shirts on my bed I was not looking forward to refolding. This was discouraging because it was a mountain in front of me I was not ready to conquer. I decided that I would place the ones I was unsure of disposing and bring them back to my home before completely parting with them. I would keep the ones I saw valuable and toss those that served absolutely no purpose.
The first one I picked up was one I wore once a week, this one was simple. It made me happy and was essential to my wardrobe. I’ll keep this one. Next, I don’t remember the last time i wore but, I really liked this Jimmy Buffet concert t-shirt I won 5 years ago yet have not worn since. I put this one to the side for later. This was an easy discard. I had no use for my ex-boyfriend from high school’s Berklee College shirt. That one was a satisfying toss in the trash. I unfortunately do not need 3 of the same exact black v necks. Some shirts had to stay because they serve a purpose such as work or for my fraternity. These can’t be thrown out because they’re necessary whether i like them or not.
After doing this process 35 more times I began to be able to more easily distinguish between what was worth keeping and what was not worth the space. I got rid of those with holes in the armpit that I told myself I would fix, that didn’t fit and those that shouldn’t have been ever allowed to be in fashion. Even knowing that they served no purpose being stored in the bottom of a drawer the thought of getting rid of them still made me feel like I would miss them.
I kept what has made me happy, what I feel confident wearing (and a few with sentimental value). Surprisingly this was easy to differentiate but, difficult to make the step of not putting it back in the drawer. Some brought back memories and I loved wearing. Others I use to workout with often. With every shirt I picked up, I kept reminding myself “if it doesn’t bring you joy, let it go.”
I completely agree when my house is in order, i definitely feel more efficient and organized. I never thought there was a “right order”, I always went by whatever looked “neat.” This new process is one I would like to start on my own room to keep things consistently organized. 21 shirts is a lot more manageable, and somewhere to start from. Although a stressful process, I feel more at ease when everything is in order.
The Materials of History, Thought, and Art 
I completely agree with you that this was a stressful
process, after which I did feel a little better and even proud of myself for managing to neaten up, something that I rarely do. I laughed out loud about your Olive Garden never ending pasta reference; I felt like that when I went through my t-shirts about a month ago. I was horrified at the sheer amount I had managed to stuff into my cabinet all at once. Now, after having “purged” them, I still feel like they’re crammed for space in there and I’ve got no idea how the original amount even managed to fit in there in the first place. I also agree with your statement about missing things even though you knew, objectively, that they served no purpose and you had to get rid of them; I think some of us find it difficult to let go of our physical possessions, as if maybe they are associated with a deeper sense of being or identity, regardless of whether or not we know we are being ridiculous for keeping things that we clearly do not need. I think I would’ve been more successful if, like you, I had really told myself, “If it doesn’t bring you joy, let it go.” I definitely rushed with my clothing, although I made more of a conscious effort of utilizing the joy test with my earrings, which is what I decided to organize for this assignment. After reading your post, I’m thinking I need to go back and tidy my t-shirts again, because I certainly still have more than 21 and I would like them to be more manageable!
I can definitely relate to this being a stressful endeavor. I personally focused on my dresser drawer where I had a variety of different articles of clothing; however, I knew I couldn’t tackle my tee-shirts alone. I’m a hoarder when it comes to those. I have an entire bin devoted to tee-shirts I hardly wear in my apartment here at New Paltz and about 5 more bins filled to the top at home. I envy your ability to distinguish between those that brought you joy and those that needed to be let go. I feel as if tee shirts are so universal; they can be worn as pajamas, workout clothes, casual attire and so much more. Like you, I have a variety that also hold sentimental value that I have gotten from previous concerts, school related clubs and functions as well as old soccer shirts from previous tournaments. However, I also have random one’s I don’t even remember purchasing, or those I stole from my friends and my brother. I agree with you in that I feel a lot more put together when I get myself organized and definitely see a need for me to go through my mountain of tee shirts in the near future. Maybe you can come help and rub off some of your success you had with this assignment!