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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Marie Kondō
Read between
January 25 - February 11, 2025
“I can’t relax in them,” “It seems a waste to wear this inside when it was really for going out,” “I don’t like it,”
There are stores dedicated solely to loungewear products, and the design, material, and cut are all aimed at relaxation.
To me, it doesn’t seem right to keep clothes we don’t enjoy for relaxing around the house. This time at home is still a precious part of living. Its value should not change just because nobody sees us.
The real waste is not discarding clothes you don’t like but wearing them even though you are striving to create the ideal space for your ideal lifestyle.
Precisely because no one is there to see you, it makes far more sense to reinforce a positive self-image by wearing clothes you love.
What you wear in the house does impact your self-image.
I strongly recommend folding as the main storage method.
you can fit from twenty to forty pieces of folded clothing in the same amount of space required to hang ten.
By neatly folding your clothes, you can solve almost every problem related to storage.
The real benefit is that you must handle each piece of clothing. As you run your hands over the cloth, you pour your energy into it.
When we take our clothes in our hands and fold them neatly, we are, I believe, transmitting energy, which has a positive effect on our clothes.
Clothes that have been neatly folded have a resilience and sheen that can be discerned immediately, clearly distinguishing them from those that have been haphazardly stuffed in a drawer. The act of folding is far more than making clothes compact for storage. It is an act of caring, an expression of love and appreciation for the way these clothes support your lifestyle.
Therefore, when we fold, we should put our heart into it, thanking our clothes for protecting our bodies.
Japanese people quickly grasp the pleasure that comes from folding clothes, almost as if they are genetically programmed for this task.
They fall into the daily routine of picking something out of the pile to wear while the mound continues to grow, eventually spreading from one corner to take over the rest of the room.
I have opened closets so full that the clothes look like they have been hardened in a jelly mold, and I have witnessed drawers filled with clothes rolled and twisted like noodles.
Once you have mastered this technique, you will actually enjoy doing it every day and will find it a handy skill for the rest of your life.
The goal should be to organize the contents so that you can see where every item is at a glance, just as you can see the spines of the books on your bookshelves.
The key is to store things standing up rather than laid flat.
To store clothes standing, they must be made compact, which means more folds.
Once you have an image of what the inside of your drawers will look like, you can begin folding. The goal is to fold each piece of clothing into a simple, smooth rectangle.
The number of folds should be adjusted so that the folded clothing when standing on edge fits the height of the drawer.
This is the basic principle that will ultimately allow your clothes to be stacked on edge, side by side, so that when you pull open your drawer you can see the edge of every item inside.
Folding goes even more smoothly if you fold thin, soft material more tightly, reducing it to a small width and height, and thick, fluffy materials less.
a historical moment in which your mind and the piece of clothing connect.
The first is that the closet is simply too full. One of my clients had jammed so many clothes inside that it took her three full minutes to extract a single outfit. The hangers were so closely packed that when, after much grunting and pulling, she finally managed to extract an outfit, the clothes on either side popped out with it like bread from a toaster.
there are some types of clothing that are better stored on hangers. These include coats, suits, jackets, skirts, and dresses.
hang any clothes that look like they would be happier hung up, such as those made with soft materials that flutter in the breeze or highly tailored cuts, which protest at being folded. These we should hang willingly.
hang clothes in the same category side by side, dividing your closet into a jacket section, a suit section, and so on.
Clothes, like people, can relax more freely when in the company of others who are very similar in type, and therefore organizing them by category helps them feel more comfortable and secure.
Arrange your clothes so that they rise to the right.
hang heavy items on the left side of the closet and light items on the right.
By category, coats would be on the far left, followed by dresses, jackets, pants, skirts, and blouses.
organize the clothes within each category from heavy to light.
When you stand in front of a closet that has been reorganized so that the clothes rise to the right, you will feel your heart beat faster and the cells in your body buzz with energy.
Treat your socks and stockings with respect
Never, ever tie up your stockings. Never, ever ball up your socks.
“Look at them carefully. This should be a time for them to rest. Do you really think they can get any rest like that?”
But if they are folded over, balled up, or tied, they are always in a state of tension, their fabric stretched and their elastic pulled.
Lay the toes one on top of the other and fold the stocking in half lengthwise. Then fold it into thirds, making sure that the toes are inside, not outside, and that the waistband protrudes slightly at the top. Finally, roll the stocking up toward the waistband. If the waistband is on the outside when you finish, you’ve done it right.
The point is that the stocking should be firm and stable when you’ve finished, much like a sushi roll.
This method is a win-win solution. It allows you to see how many stockings you have at a single glance, protects your stockings from damage, and keeps them smooth and unwrinkled so that they are easier to put on.
If you’ve folded back the tops, start by unfolding them. Place one sock on top of the other and follow the same principles as those for folding clothing. For low-cut socks that just cover the feet, folding twice is enough; for ankle socks, three times; for knee socks and over-knee socks, four to six times. You can adjust the number of folds to achieve the height that best suits the drawer.
The trick is not to overcategorize. Divide your clothes roughly into “cotton-like” and “wool-like” materials when you put them in the drawer.
If you are planning to buy storage units in the near future, I recommend that you get a set of drawers instead.
This kind of “communication” helps your clothes stay vibrant and keeps your relationship with them alive longer.
You cannot judge whether or not a book really grabs you when it’s still on the shelf.
To truly decide whether you want to keep something or to dispose of it, you must take your things out of hibernation.
The criterion is, of course, whether or not it gives you a thrill of pleasure when you touch it.
Remember, I said when you touch it. Make sure you don’t start reading it. Reading clouds your judgment.
