KonMari Method Clothes: How I’m Tidying Up My Wardrobe in 2025

Decluttering Clothes with the Konmari Method

This year, we’re turning to the KonMari Method to help us get our clothes decluttered and organized.

Marie Kondo first introduced her tidying method in her work The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up—The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (2011), which is all about finding joy in what you already own and letting go of the excess.

Why Starting with Clothes Could Be Tricky

Marie Kondo suggests starting with decluttering clothing because it’s the easiest category to begin with.

Honestly, I have to disagree. Especially as women, we often have very complicated relationships with clothes…

…We put so much pressure on ourselves to look a certain way and it’s so easy to compare ourselves to others.

…Our bodies change so much, especially during pregnancy and the postpartum stages of life.

…This leads to a constant hunt for the next best thing to make us feel better about ourselves.

Eventually, accumulating too much stuff becomes difficult to avoid. And, how are we going to prevent this from happening again—even after doing a round of decluttering?

Learn more about why we decided to stop shopping in 2025 and how we think it will help us slow down while raising small children!

So, even though I don’t completely agree with Kondo’s advice, there’s so much potential in using this approach. Keep reading to find out why we chose this method!

Emotional Ties to Clothing

Over time, I’ve attached a lot of emotions to my clothes. Many of the pieces I’ve been holding onto remind me of a past I’ve outgrown, but still letting go feels difficult.

It’s hard to enjoy who I am today when I’m surrounded by items that don’t serve me anymore.

I’m excited to finally start decluttering and let go of everything that’s been holding me back.

It’s time to create a wardrobe that actually reflects the person I am right now. Instead of being a constant reminder of who I used to be and what I used to want out of life.

Our Goal: Letting Go of 50% of Our Possessions in 2025

I’ve been meaning to thoroughly declutter my wardrobe for ages.

The past few years after our first baby was born (and now with our second on the way!) have kept us so busy!

Our goal for 2025 is to reduce 50% of our family’s possessions to simplify our home and life. Learn more about why we’re simplifying here.

Our ultimate goal is to create a more peaceful living space, freeing up time for self-care, family experiences, and spending more time together.

Before diving into decluttering my wardrobe, I’m taking some time to carefully plan how I’ll tackle my clothes step by step.

Keep on reading, as I’ll share the current state of my wardrobe with you, as well as my thought process about decluttering my clothes in this blog post.

The Current State of My Wardrobe

For the past few years, I’ve been slowly decluttering my wardrobe by donating or selling items I no longer enjoy or need.

Somehow my collection is still not getting any smaller, and I realize I still have some pieces that I’m holding on to that I initially got more than 15 years ago!

Every time I remove something, something new seems to creep in, and the amount of clothing I own hasn’t drastically changed.

I don’t consider myself to be addicted to shopping, nor do I have a huge collection of clothes. In fact, I’ve always found clothes shopping and trying on new clothes to be somewhat exhausting.

I think my problem is that I tie too many emotions to my clothing (and possessions overall) and form attachments to them that often don’t align with reason.

I know that I have too many pieces I never wear, and they’re just taking up space in our home and reminding me of past versions of myself.

Sentimental Pieces vs. Practical Wardrobe

Some items I’ve kept for years, or even decades, because they hold sentimental value. Parting with them feels difficult. But, I also recognize that some of these pieces make me feel negatively about myself when I see them. I’d like to build the courage to let go of such items.

On the other hand, I have many practical pieces I really love. I’m also starting to discover my personal style, which is pretty simple and basic. I prefer neutral colors like black, brown, and pastels, and I’m not particularly fond of prints or patterns.

My goal is to find a balance between these two and work on detaching myself from excessive emotional connections to clothing.

Our Wardrobe is Everywhere: Managing Clothes Without a Closet

At the moment, our clothes are scattered all over our home. Since we swapped bedrooms with our toddler, we haven’t yet created a designated closet for ourselves.

We decided not to buy a new closet until we had gone through our clothing to determine how much storage space we actually need.

Some of my clothes are now stored in our small bedroom, some in laundry bins, others packed in our storage room, and some are still stored away in our toddler’s room.

I’ll have to collect all pieces together in order to start the decluttering process.

Managing a Wardrobe for Different Stages and Seasons

My weight and size have also changed a lot throughout my pregnancy and postpartum phases.

Now that I’m pregnant again, I’m sticking to maternity wear for a little bit longer. Once I reach the postpartum phase (in just a few weeks time!), I’ll need to find my way back to my regular clothing.

This makes sorting through my wardrobe a bit tricky since in the past years I’ve constantly been shifting between different sizes and stages.

And living in Finland presents its own challenge. With four very distinct seasons, we need clothing, accessories, and shoes for each one. This means our wardrobe contains a wide variety of items. As a result, our clothes tend to pile up. I feel like there’s always something out of season lying around.

The Konmari Method Clothes Planning Phase

The Konmari Method suggests to go through your belongings by category, not by location.

The first step is to gather all your clothes in one place, e.g. your bed, and then start sorting.

The thought of having to collect every piece of clothing and search through our entire home already feels quite overwhelming.

This could take some time, but I realize it’s an important step in order to get a clear picture of how much stuff I’m actually working with.

Reduce the Overwhelm with Sub-Categories

I’ve had success with the KonMari Method before, both with my own clothes and by helping others tackle their wardrobes.

I really like the idea of going through things by category rather than by location or room. It makes it much easier to identify how many items you actually have.

However, it’s important to have a plan for:

• where you’re going to collect all the stuff, and
• how long you’ll be able to keep it there.

Right now, we’re living in a tight space in our 2-bedroom apartment (soon to be home to four people!). This means we don’t have much extra room to use as a sorting area or holding zone for items we’re going to donate or take out.

One thing I really like about the KonMari Method is how Kondo suggests breaking each category into smaller sub-categories. She recommends you do this, if the main categories feel too big or overwhelming.

For clothing Kondo recommends dividing all items further into the following categories:

• Tops
• Bottoms
• Hanging clothes
• Socks
• Underwear
• Bags
• Handbags
• Accessories
• Clothes for specific events
• Shoes

I would say, breaking the massive clothing category into smaller sub-categories is especially helpful for those living in small spaces.

If I feel like I won’t be able to go through it all in one sitting, I’ll divide the job into smaller chunks. This way I’ll avoid spreading everything out if I think I won’t be able to finish on time.

Taking care of our toddler while being in my third trimester of pregnancy has left me feeling very tired recently. Because of that, I’ll have to be extra mindful not to take on too much at once.

Even so, I still believe the KonMari Method is one of the most effective ways to go through all your belongings, one category at a time. And, I’m excited to start the process by decluttering my clothes!

Our KonMari Decluttering Journey Begins: Setting Clear Intentions

My main intention for this decluttering journey is to create a more intentional and functional wardrobe. Especially now, as I navigate the changes that come with pregnancy and postpartum.

I don’t just want to declutter just for the sake of decluttering. I want to make mindful decisions about what I’m keeping and what I’m letting go of.

During this process, I’ll need to be particularly conscious of my changing body. I’m going to keep items that serve me now in this season while also anticipating my future needs.

Remember how I mentioned earlier that we stopped shopping? With our no-buy year in full swing, we’re focusing on making intentional choices about bringing anything new into our home.

If I see an item being valuable in the next season, I won’t get rid of it only to repurchase something similar in a few months.

This year, I hope to create a wardrobe that reflects who I am today without any excess.

Are You Planning to Declutter Your Clothes This Year?

I’d love to hear more about your plans for decluttering your wardrobe this year!

What method or system are you planning to use? Do you have any favorite principles you’ll be following?

Let me know in the comments, send me an email, or message me on Instagram!