It will come as virtually no surprise to anyone to learn that I love Marie Kondo. I love her books, I love her TV show, I love her Container Store line, and I love her method. (Most of all, I love the recent headlines about her, but that’s not our focus today.)
Spring has (almost? hopefully?) arrived and that means it’s time for my bi-annual closet swap. This is a practice that sparks a LOT of joy for me.
Why?
Because only when I am (literally) knee-deep in piles of my possessions do I really reflect on how the things in my closet make me feel.
I spend a lot of time handling these items all season: after each wear, I take great care in washing, hang drying, steaming and/or ironing, de-pilling, and lint rolling most of what I own.
But the routine performance of this ritual is not the same as engaging with Marie’s defining question: does it spark joy?
Not only does she pose this existential interrogation to every client featured on her Netflix series, she also asks them to thank each item they decide to part with.
It might seem odd to interact with things in this way, but it’s cathartic (and, frankly, it’s something we don’t do enough—hence 13 seasons of Hoarders).
Marie’s goal in her consulting work is to help people consciously and carefully discard. In my own method, I’ve incorporated this practice of reflection and thanksgiving into the care of items I do keep.
Taking the time to engage in this practice has yielded several benefits: it’s helped me better define ~my style~. It’s made me more intentional about what I purchase. It’s allowed me to justify the $ (…$$$) I drop on cashmere sweaters in any given winter.1 And it's freed up more of my time: I do less laundry. I spend less time folding, organizing (and re-organizing), labeling, and finding places to put things. I make less trips to Goodwill.
But it has also served as an invitation to dig deeper and move beyond these surface-level conveniences.
What we invest in. How we care for our things. Is it not a reflection of how we care for ourselves?
This contemplation only occurred to me more recently.
During The Pandemic, an isolating time where I lived in the same sweatshirt and leggings for too many days in a row (tbh still do), I wasn’t feeling my best. (Was anyone?) So, I thought about the times I felt really good and why.
I realized that feeling resulted mostly from consistent inside work (therapy, positive self-talk, etc. etc.), but a decent amount of outside work, too.
I feel best when my nails are freshly painted, my hair is styled, my brows are gelled, and my clothes are wrinkle-free and well-tailored.
(I also feel my best when the spaces from which I pull my things are tidy and organized, but let’s not forget my astrological sign.)
This analysis deepened my understanding and appreciation of that catchy saying “look good, feel good.” Because let’s be honest: we all like to feel good. And we tend to feel good when we look damn good. Getting in touch with how exactly to feel that way is, for me, the result of some steps that can stem from something as simple as a closet clean-out:
Taking time. Acting with care. Expressing gratitude. Recognizing what sparks joy. Keeping and wearing and investing in only those things.
I think Marie is really onto something…
***
If you’re feeling ready and inspired to invest some time into swapping your own closet, here are some of my favorites tools to use when packing seasonal items away:
Handy travel steamer
Sweater stone (pls note this is different from the comb and should be used on heavier, thicker knits)
Rechargeable fabric shaver (it is more than likely most people would do just fine with one of these three de-pilling tools)
Wool & Cashmere spray (yes, this was included in the recent recall of The Laundress products, but I still swear by it)
Cedar rings and storage bags (for those of us who do not yet have an entire cedar closet)
The best lint rollers
And maybe, as you engage in the meditative practice that is stripping your fabrics of fuzz, consider this: What else in your life needs care this season? 🫶🏻
I also partly blame this purchase pattern on my family. I come from a large Italian one and have several opinionated aunts. They are always quick to share their thoughts on an outfit, but their insight spans well beyond clothing: furniture, bedding, tableware, your boyfriend. You name it, my aunts have offered their opinion on it. And (usually) they have a right to—they have impeccable taste.
The overarching theme of their commentary? Quality > quantity. And they’re not wrong. I can’t count the number of times I used to toss a top or a sweater after one season of wear. Hence the recent shift to cashmere (and higher-quality, longer-lasting items more generally). Worth it!
This is right on! Quality makes such a difference - I have a sweater that was supposedly cashmere but was an inexpensive version - def not even worth that - thanks for the great tips emma!
Love the sweater comb nana gives us 3x year 😂
Makes me want to start cleaning closets🥰