Does the Konmari method work for Plus Size Packing?

by Bianca

By now, you’ve probably already watched Tidying Up on Netflix. The minimalist home organization show with world-famous author Marie Kondo. Marie Kondo is an organization consultant (whaaat is that?) from Japan.

I started out 2019, binging the series sweeping its way through the oversized closets of the USA. Like the rest of the Konmari believers, I immediately went into my bedroom and pulled every last plus sized t-shirt, sock, jeans, and sweater from the depth of its drawers. What did I ask myself as I was neck-deep in clothes ranging a size 12 to a size 20? “Does this bring me joy?”

Unsurprisingly, the answer to this question most of the time was No. Cutting my closet by about half (husband was real excited because now he has somewhere to put his coats) I wondered if this folding method would work for packing my suitcase.

Tidying up my Size 16 Jeans

Seeing a small Japanese woman fold her tiny clothes into small squares that stand up on their own, had me REAL skeptical that a plus size woman could make the Konmari method work.

As I folded up my remaining 13 pairs of jeans that had recently clogged my bottom drawer, with extra room for denim shorts….I started re-evaluating my skepticism of the Konmari method.

With an upcoming trip to Las Vegas planned for my friend’s 27th birthday, this was my first time packing a suitcase for Vegas for a non-work event. Usually, my carry-on consists of modest shoes, neutral polos, and black trousers for Vegas. This time, I knew I needed to pack a little differently as my pink and blue faux fur jackets were FOR SURE coming with me.

Plus Size packing using the Konmari Method

I gave the Konmari method a try to see if I could manage to bring more of my size 16 clothes to fit in my suitcase for an upcoming trip.

Over the past week I had been tossing clothes into my suitcase. By the time I embarked on this plus size Konmari mission, I had accumulated quite a stash to pack for our weekend in Las Vegas.

Here’s what I’m tidying up for Vegas:

9 dresses

1 romper

2 fur jackets

1 jacket

1 pair of shorts

2 bodysuits

2 pairs of shape wear

1 pair of platform booties

At first glance, my suitcase looked pretty darn full and without toiletries, comfortable shoes, hair appliances, or accessories… I needed a better idea of how much space I had to work with.

After spending a good 30 minutes folding all of my dresses, I realized a few things about the Konmari method:

Folding my clothes in thirds is exhausting.

Konmari method is great if you don’t have packing cubes.

It’s nice to see all of your clothes displayed like Tetris blocks.