Are you tired of seeing your cluttered drawers every time you have to grab a T-shirt? KonMari folding might be the solution.
Marie Kondo’s folding method involves folding your clothes so they can stand up on one end. It makes good use of the vertical space in your drawers, and it means all your clothes are sitting neatly in front of you, rather than being stacked on top of each other, so you can see all your outfit options at a glance. Here’s how to do it.
Marie Kondo folding T-shirts or jumpers
As you Marie Kondo T-shirt after T-shirt, you’ll quickly get the hang of it. The method for a T-shirt, long-sleeved top or jumper goes like this:
Lay your T-shirt (for example) out flat, face-up.
In your head, divide the T-shirt into vertical thirds: the left side (including the left sleeve), the middle (including the neckline), and the right side (including the right sleeve).
Fold one side inwards, across the imaginary line dividing it from the middle section. Let’s say it’s the left side.
Fold the sleeve of the left side back towards the left, so it’s pointing towards the folded edge. If it’s long enough to cross the edge, fold it down again at ninety degrees just before the crossing point, so the rest of the sleeve runs down along the folded edge. You’re trying to create a neat rectangle, so you don’t want the sleeves to stray outside it.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the other side: the right side, in this example.
You’ve now got a long rectangle with the neckline at the top edge. Take hold of the top edge and fold the rectangle almost in half; leave a few centimetres at the bottom.
Fold from top to bottom again, either in half or in thirds. There’s no need to leave a gap this time.
You should now have a neat little parcel of clothing that can stand up on its own.
Marie Kondo folding shirts that button up
Dealing with a dress shirt? It’s usually best to hang these up in order to keep them uncreased. If you don’t have anywhere to hang them, though, here’s the method for Marie Kondo shirt folding:
Lay your dress shirt out flat, face-down and buttoned up.
As before, mentally divide the shirt into thirds and fold one side inwards. Be careful not to fold the collar.
As before, fold the sleeve back towards the folded edge, but don’t fold the excess down at ninety degrees. Instead, when the sleeve hits the edge, fold it back horizontally on top of itself.
Repeat with the other side, creating a neat rectangle.
Take the bottom of the shirt and fold your rectangle almost in half, leaving a little space up by the collar.
Fold the shirt in half from the bottom again.
Marie Kondo folding jeans or shorts
KonMari folding trousers is much the same as working with tops; you’re just putting the legs on top of each other rather than folding inwards in thirds.
Lay your trousers out flat.
Fold them in half, so the legs are lying on top of each other.
Fold up from the legs to the waist. Again, you’re folding almost in half, leaving a few centimetres between the waistband and the end of the legs.
Working from bottom to top again, fold in half or in thirds, not leaving a gap this time.
If you’re Marie Kondo folding shorts that don’t have enough leg for that much folding, repeat steps one and two, then just fold in half from top to bottom.
Marie Kondo folding underwear and socks
Folding your underwear might feel like overkill. If you’re determined to KonMari every piece of fabric in your home, though, here’s our guide to Marie Kondo folding pants:
Fold your pants vertically, gusset to waistband.
Fold in thirds horizontally: one side into the centre, then the other.
Fold in thirds vertically, bottom to top, and you’re done.
If you want to KonMari socks, meanwhile, just lay your socks on top of each other, fold the toe not quite up to the top, then fold them in thirds from bottom to top.
Finally, survey your perfectly organised drawers. If you want your clothes to smell as good as they look, find a scented fabric conditioner that works for you: something like Comfort Intense Fuchsia Passion.
The KonMari method can be strangely relaxing, as you’ve probably realised if you’ve reached the point of trying to Marie Kondo underwear. With these KonMari folding steps, you’ll be able to transform your clothes storage system and enjoy the process.