The KonMarie method

tattycath

I am going to have to revisit my clothes soon..,I feel like I still have far too many of them. When I sorted through my tops, bottoms, long sleeved tops, etc, I didn't factor in all the clothes hat were in the wash. So, whereas before I felt I could never have enough clothes, I now feel that I have far too many and need to down size. Like everyone else, I have favourite jeans, tops I wear as soon as they have been washed, I'm finding I still have others I just don't fancy wearing. Proving to me that they don't bring as much joy as I thought they did.

VJsmum

mrs-moneypenny wrote: »

I spent a whole term trying to scuff them on the bar under the bus seat, kids would seek me out in the playground to laugh at my shoes. I actually got an after school job and saved to buy a midi skirt and zip up cardi do I'd fit in.

I feel your pain. My dad came home once with a pair of "granny" shoes and they made me wear them. I used to leave the house in them, then change into pumps once i got down the road a bit. it then occurred to me that they would never wear out like that, and that the parents might think they were such good value they would get me more :eek: So i took to wearing them half way to school scraping the toes along the road as i went, until they formed a hole I am a bit embarrassed about that - they had no money (though they did smoke ) but it got me out of the shoes

Strangely I still detest buying shoes.

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

Oh Mrs M-P, that made me laugh and cry. I didn't have vouchers, but my uniform was either homemade or bought (with my mum's best intentions) to meet the uniform criteria, I had one skirt and jumper and three shirts as far as I recall. How I longed for one of those cardigans, and a skirt that didn't finish at the most unflattering part of my leg. Mum always bought sensible shoes and yes, people laughed at them. And my other clothes were no better. My mum was old, and quite old-fashioned.

I don't think it's exaggerating to say that all this was a source of misery to me, it took me years to feel confident about clothes and develop my own style and for years I bought far too many clothes as a defence against those days.

When I read statements about school uniform 'making everyone equal' I laugh bitterly. Children can tell perfectly well who's got designer trousers and whose were bought in Tesco.

Good luck GQ, hope they can sort it out for you.

I feel your pain too. We had no money and my one school uniform dress and cardi had to last 2 years. I went to the school for 4 years and only ever had two sets of uniform (peacock blue crimplene dress and matching cardi). There was a summer uniform but we couldn't afford that. By the end of the 4th year (when i was 12 / 13) it was so short it was shocking, so the head let us wear a denim skirt with white shirt - happy days :T

I agree, it is very easy to see who has money and who doesn't.

My DS is about to start 6th form where the uniform is business dress. This means buying him a suit :eek: As i am not really sure whether this is the correct route for him, post 16, that i am only buying one to start with - i might let him have a couple of shirts though.:)

grunnie

Greyqueen good luck with the dentist. Hope you are soon pain free. I am house sitting this week. Great big 5 bed in the city. Change of charity shops tho I haven't been tempted yet. Loads of craft shops - may buy some wool. My hands are itching to Km the place but will do the fridge and cutlery drawer tidy their cupboards and a bit of gardening. I have got 2 books on colour analysis from the library and found all my colours and style are the ones I wear already. I am a cool soft and natural :jHave agreat day everyone . happy KM journey

mrs-moneypenny

VJsmum, I've not bought them from there but tesc0 and prim@rk have value men's suits, my Ds1 loves wearing suit jackets and I've picked him them up at carboots and they look really smart for about £6-£7

I've just been in the food cupboards while waiting for Ds2 to head out to work experience (I needed to be in the kitchen so I could keep an eye out for binmen and blag some more rolls of bags. BBE 2002/06 food colourings or flavourings anyone? no I thought not, theyve been binned along with a jar of mouldy jam and a load of sachets that were well OOD.

mavvymoo

I've been waking up thinking that for many a long year . I think I've always taken the view that if I do something about it, I'll be making me happier but 4 other people unhappier, seems an unfair balance. Though less so as the years go by, I guess.

I have this idea that one day, all will be well, just not quite sure yet how to get there. But I do have a strong feeling that really scouring the house out will help.

Peaceandfreedom. I think you will find as you go along the MK route. You will find yourself laid wide open and if you take the time you will find your peace that you are seaching for Which direction it takes who knows yet but either way its going to be scary. But it has to be faced and dealt with at some point. A good starting point is what your doing get rid of the clutter and carp which is very distracting and I mean the house, relationships and in your head. I wish you all the strength in the world as for you this is going to be a hell of a bumpy ride;) As I see the old me many years ago in you and I am sure my iTwin does too.


Talking childhood clothing memories:o I only remember my green winter wool coat (which I had to wear from about Sept - May :rotfl: I was so hot in it but was made to wear it as much as I could.I remember it being so heavy that it was better to wear it and bake in the sun than to carry it It was about 3 sizes too big when it was new so it lasted about 3 years so we got our monies worth

. My poor cousin got it after me and I always felt her pain when I saw her in it :rotfl:My Green coat was replaced by two yes two :rotfl: Ponchos 1 in White and Lime Green and 1 in White and Orange Hand knitted with those pom poms on the end of the wool to tighten it around the neck This must have been late 60s early 70s.I loved those ponchos it must have been the freedom of movement after the coat :rotfl:

I also had to change out of School uniform the second I got in and scruffs were always jeans and polo neck jumper ( that used to drive me mad and still do pulling the neck down all the time) :mad: or a T-shirt in summer (under my coat most likely):rotfl:


When I think about it looking in my wardrobe then there was just a few hangers in there so I couldnt have had many clothes but I cant say I even remember not having many.

A lesson for me today I think


Mav x

bossymoo

I found some winter boots in the Dune sale Here they are not as flamboyant as the pair they are replacing but I'm both happy yet a little miffed it's too warm to wear them

so my old pair are being donated, they have served me well, and I really hope they keep someone less fortunate as cosy as they have me for the last 4 winters

Trip to the tip today - will see how much I can cram in the car...

Floss

I had one school skirt (a Guides one handed down by our nextdoor neighbour), a handknit jumper and two blouses for high school...primary school was a pinafore that did me about 3 years, 2 scratchy white nylon blouses and a hand-me-down Cub sweater! My scruffs were jeans (I had some fab blue & white striped bell-bottoms!!) and t-shirt with an aran sweater...all passed down from female cousins. There were 5 of us all 2 years apart, my older brothers and then I was between the two cousins, so girls things did 3 of us, cagoules & arans did 5 (and still never wore out!). I had just 1 smart outfit, usually a cord pinafore & skinny rib, bought as a Christmas present. Shoes were always Start-Rite as Clarks didn't fit me properly

missyrichards

I wear almost a uniform as I got rid of so many of my clothes. I realised that I still am not wearing all the clothes in my wardrobe despite having so few clothes.:D I still stick to the favourites so I might have to weed out a few more to donate to charity.

I was watching the BBC news this morning and they were talking about carrier bags and they were showing photos of how people kept their bags and I wondered why people would keep them messy like that instead of turning them into neat little samosas.:rotfl:

System

I too only had one uniform growing up but i did have two school shirts. I remember Mom getting me a really nice coat from the market. They only had the one and it was reduced and some sod nicked it on my first day.

My kids did better than me though i made sure of that. Only one blazer though cause i wasnt made of money. In those days i kept the family allowance and saved it for the childrens clothes/shoes. That way i didnt have to ask hubby for the money.

Fortunately my kids didnt grow much and despite having their feet measured several times a year, one pair of school shoes usually lasted the whole school year. Each child had one pair of school shoes and one pair of shoes they could wear to play in. Maybe i was just mean but it was all about counting the cost...but buying the best i could afford.

GrannyKate

Hi memories of school days are hard sometimes. Agree with others that children 'know' you are not rich whether there is uniform or not. As one of 6 living in a council house and attending grammar school with a uniform shop only policy it was hard for my parents. Rarely more than 2 of anything and one PE kit. Had to wear different indoor and outdoor shoes both leather which my parents could not really afford. Out of school clothes few and far between but I learnt to sew and bought all sorts at jumble sales which I unpicked and used material to make mini skirts etc. I have some good memories of school as it taught me to love books and to gave wider horizons but other memories are painful. I particularly remember the form teacher who made me queue up every Monday and tell her I was having free school dinners in front of everyone as she said she couldn't be expected to remember from week to week. My father was not working due to mental health problems left over from the war. I like to think that experience has made me a better person in my dealings with people.
On the lighter side, one year mum made me 2 lovely summer dresses for my September birthday - I can almost see them now although I must have been about 8. They were large enough for next year as summer was ending but I wore them a few times before they were packed away in the big landing cupboard. The problem was come next year they were gone and we never found them again. Right up until her death a few years ago at 97, mum and I used to joke that missing items would be found with those 2 Dresses along with a pair of gloves she bought for dad one year but couldn't find when she came to wrap the Christmas presents.
Packed for holiday (3 sleeps) and it was so easy post kondo. May need to take some out once dg5 things arrive as do not want more than 2 Suitcases.
Paperwork stalled but will get to it on return from holiday.