The Cycle Of Clothes
Posted: August 5, 2020 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: black, black sandals, green, green wide-leg pants, white, white floral tee 2 Comments
I can’t seem to pair these pants with anything but botanical-themed top. In my defense, this T-shirt is getting pretty faded already, so I wanted to take it out for one last spin, so to speak, before retiring it to my “home” wardrobe – clothes that are old/out of style but still wearable, so I keep them to wear around the house or to run some quick errands if necessary. And then, when they get too old to be worn anymore, they’ll get turned into dust rags and cleaning cloths. That’s the life cycle of clothes in my house, and I think it’s much more economical and makes more sense than the whole Marie Kondo, “spark joy” mumbo-jumbo.
The thing about the Kondo method that rubs me the wrong way is that not all of us can afford to throw things away just because they no longer “spark joy”. Of course, if you can donate them, then by all means, do, but I think it’s better to find other ways for you to use them. I don’t need my things to spark joy. I just need them to be useful.
14 Shades Of Grey 
I agree. Why throw out clothes (or anything for that matter) if it can still be useful?
I never bought into that “no longer sparks joy” philosophy as I’m not one to “follow the crowd” (which I’ve made quite clear with certain terminologies used during this pandemic).
That’s not to say that I’m a pack rat either as I like my things very neat and ordery (even my “messes” are orderly), but I find uses for most anything. My old clothes have to literally be falling apart before I’ll throw them out. I have old shirts that I can see through, thanks to the hundreds of wash cycles that they endured. Take the buttons out so they don’t scratch the tables; instant dust rags. Like you said, dust rags are the final fate for clothes in my house too, as well as “face towels” for wiping sweat off of my head when working around the house.
Your top looks great in the photos! Very cute outfit! I agree with you in regard to Kondo’s idea that you can just throw out something that doesn’t bring joy. Maybe a more useful adaptation is don’t bring it home if it doesn’t spark joy.