I guess the big thing now in the Kon-Mari mentality is the idea of a 'Capsule Wardrobe' which is, as I think I've figured out, 37 items of clothing in your wardrobe, total, per season (not counting accessories, workout gear, certain specialized items needed for specialized activities).
It's an interesting thought and it might be impetus to go through my drawers and closet to simplify a little more...or at least to divide by 'season'.
However, it doesn't really take into account the fact that I LIKE clothes. I like having a LOT of clothes. Hell, I MAKE clothes -- I have two very, very full hanging cubbies full of handmade sweaters. I like being able to go into my closet and say 'Ooh, I haven't worn this in a while! I'll wear it today!'
That being said, I know that I wear certain items more than others. I have a pair of black work pants and a pair of brown workpants that I wear a lot during 3 out of the 4 seasons. I have T-shirts that I like wearing more often. Does that mean I should get rid of the other ones that I don't wear as often even though I'm the type to say 'Ooh...I want to wear this today even if I haven't worn it yet all year'?
I've already done the 'hold each item' thing and I did pare out a lot. But I also kept a lot. Because I like clothes. Can I get rid of some more? Possibly. Will I? Maybe.
While I understand this movement for simplification and against consumerism, I do have to wonder about those of us who use our clothes to express our personality. I know that some people aren't into clothes. I get that. I bet this method would be great for them. But what of us who are excited about a new dress we ordered or this great shirt that we found? Do we then have to get rid of something else to make room for it?
I also get the idea of 'Don't get it if you don't love it' but again, it all goes back to those of us who like to dress up. I like the idea of being able to go into my closet and pull out costume pieces. Sure, those are 'specialty items' but I like the 47 sweaters that I've made for myself. That there takes up the 37 item capsule wardrobe even though not all of them are strictly 'Winter' sweaters.
Maybe this 'capsule wardrobe' thing isn't for me, but I think it will give me things to think about this season as I think about what I wear most often and what gets left in the drawer/closet and why. Maybe there will be another bunch of clothes to be donated in the near future. Maybe I'll look at what I have and realize I should be wearing them more often.
