I enjoyed reading Marie Kondo's book back in the day and still have a copy someone gave me as a gift. It was not with the goal of achieving some level of perfection which the author describes as impossible but more to understand how to get rid of (and ideally not even acquire) what does not "spark joy". Since then, I have found the sparking joy standard as an effective way to sort things out as still needed or not. The process gave me some other things to think about.
An item of clothing that is over two decades old and still looks as good a new was not a mistake when it was bought. It still looks nice and even fits well. But I am not the same person anymore so it does not look right. For reasons I cannot fully describe, when I wear such a thing, I feel like I am not in the place and time I am supposed to be - something feels off and uncomfortable. It calls to mind the habits of my parents' generation back in India. There were items of clothing - saris in particular because they are forever - that were worn for decades and transferred across generations.
As time passed, the item looked less and less right for whoever was wearing it but culturally it was acceptable and normal. My aunt wearing a silk sari that had belonged to her mother in a her youth is an example that comes to mind. There is a picture of grandma wearing this sari at my grandfather's office holiday party - she is in her early 20s and looks wonderful. Then there is my aunt wearing it at around the same age - still a lovely sari and looks nice on her but something is off.
She looks like she may be in a costume rather than a piece of clothing that is her own. I experience that same feeling wearing my older clothes but some of them have stories that I want to recall, they spark happiness yet it is not something I will wear. The only way to make a decision on such items we come to own is to downsize one's living space where much has to go away to make room for what is currently usable.
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