Is there any better feeling than a clean, organised, and tidy wardrobe? Probably not, but mine sadly feels more like a disordered jumble sale most of the time, despite my good intentions.
Sure, in an ideal world, organising our wardrobes would be easy, and our clothes would stay in neat, aesthetic rows and hang from rails without a crease. While this level of perfection isn't what I'm striving for, I am keen to find a new way of folding my clothes so that my drawers can start to feel a little more ordered going forwards.
What is the KonMari folding method?
The KonMari folding method isn't a new technique by any means, but it is one that's stood the test of time.
Created by tidying-up guru and bestselling author, Marie Kondo, the KonMari folding method is a technique that allows clothes to stand up on their own, making it easier to organise your drawers and see what's there at a glance.
It's a popular method that's been adopted by professional organisers. 'I think the KonMari method’s biggest strength is that it helps people reconnect with their belongings,' Helen Langley, home organiser and founder of Pride of Place says. 'By standing items upright so everything is visible at a glance, it offers a constant visual reminder of what you own, so you’re less likely to forget pieces or overbuy.'
Here, my mind goes immediately to my gym clothes drawer, which feels like a battle I'm never going to win. We've all got at least one drawer that demands a serious level of rummaging before we find what we're looking for, and the gym drawer is mine.
Before the chaos of the festive season hits, I wanted to try the KonMari folding method to organise my gym clothes. If it worked, then I'd use it to organise the rest of my clothes drawers too. I took inspiration from Stacey Solomon's wardrobe storage hacks to elevate my wardrobe hanging space a while back, but my drawers could still use some work.
Trying the KonMari folding method
The gym drawer before trying the KonMari folding technique
Armed with the tutorial from Marie's YouTube channel, I set about trying the KonMari folding technique. Starting with my vest tops, I follow Marie's guidance exactly: smooth out a rectangular shape, fold both sides towards the middle, fold in half lengthways (leaving a little gap at the end), and folding lengthways again into thirds.
It's pretty straightforward, other than the fact that a lot of the vest tops in this drawer have built-in bra support, so it's a little more fiddly for me than it looks for Marie in her tutorial. But I persevere, and pretty soon I get the knack.
The KonMari method is pretty much the same for all basic garments, bar a few tweaks. Long-sleeved tops were a little tricky at first, as there's a specific way to fold the sleeve, but again, I got the knack after a couple of tries.
Once I get into the swing of things, I have to say that I find the whole experience incredibly therapeutic. My favourite organising trends are the ones that make me feel good whilst I'm doing them, not just afterwards. There's something inherently calming about smoothing the creases, folding the clothes, and reaching the satisfying end-point when they can be neatly tucked away.
The gym drawer after
Once I've put all the clothes back in the drawer, I'm even more impressed. The fact that I can see everything that's in there as soon as I open it is going to be a gamechanger, saving me both time and effort. It's one less excuse not to make my gym class anyway.
Inspired by the end result – and having enjoyed the therapeutic process itself – I decide to tackle my day-to-day tops next. I don't need the video tutorial at this point, because the technique itself is super easy to remember (and execute) after a couple of tries.
Will I be using the KonMari folding method going forward? Absolutely I will. I'd go as far as to call it a decluttering hack, because being able to see everything that's stored in each drawer is a sure-fire way to tell me what I do and don't need. It's the perfect way to bring a little more calm into the home.
What I use to organise my wardrobe
The IKEA Skubb storage boxes have been a gamechanger for my wardrobe. They're structured but with a little bit of give, so you can stuff an extra top in there if you need to. An affordable way of separating your undies from your socks.
These organisers are one of the most popular items on Amazon in the wardrobe storage category. They're stackable and adjustable, and they keep everything looking satisfyingly neat.
This trouser hanger has helped me maximise hanging space in my wardrobe by storing three pairs instead of one.
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