The great riddance

When the series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo released on Netflix earlier this year, many started embracing the concept of decluttering and organising their lives as a means of not just minimalist living, but also mental peace. For, Kondo's method, called the KonMari method, gets inspiration from the spiritual practice of organising things properly in the Shinto religion (from Japan).

While many donated to NGOs during the first wave of the movement, millennials took to social media to sell their clothes at throwaway prices. The second wave is more or less the same with one difference — it's for free.

Pallavi Pundir gave away a barely worn top

It was a lifestyle decision Chembur resident Pallavi Pundir took when she gave away four items earlier this month, inspired by Kondo's minimalist way of life that was also tied in with the fact that she is an impulsive shopper and wanted all her things to fit in a suitcase as she frequently moved cities.

"A few colleagues and I swapped clothes and realised that something that doesn't look good on one person might look spectacular on another. I wanted to keep my daily wear to essentials, as it's impractical to be bound by so much stuff. Of course, there's always the option of taking it to stores like H&M which give you a discount on exchange, but giving it away on Instagram meant it would be picked up by people who knew me and how I maintain my clothes," Pundir elaborates, adding that the items were picked up in two to three days by those who lived near her and even two friends in Delhi when she travelled there on work.

Earrings; (right) earlier this month

"Instagram works best as its immediate and convenient, as long as you put all the details out there — the size, type of fabric [crucial in a humid city like Mumbai], the brand [if any] and how many times it's been worn [if at all]. Make sure there are no stains and the tags are visible in your post if it's new," says Matunga resident Tanushree Varadarajan, who has done six sets of such decluttering stories since 2016, when she moved back to Mumbai after finishing her college in Bengaluru only to realise she had twice the amount of clothes than she had space for.

Varadarajan also puts up clothes that don't fit her anymore due to her recent weight loss or those she bought online but aren't the right fit. It's easy enough to know what you won't wear, Varadarajan opines. "If you don't wear something within the first three to four months of buying it, you are never going to use it. Don't be under the illusion that you're going to lose weight and wear it. It's best to give it away," she adds.

Tanushree V with a dress she gave away

For social medial influencer Rohina Anand, giveaways are not just a way to put products she's tried out for shoots or those that came as gifts to good use, but also to ensure a high level of engagement with followers. "I own 15 shades of foundation but didn't know what to do with them. So, a person reacted to my story about it, and I gave them away to some followers. At least, they will be used. Besides, we live in matchboxes in Mumbai. It's crucial to do away with things you don't use," she tells us.

And what about earning money while getting rid of old clothes? "It's more hassle-free when it's done for free," says Anand. "I came across someone who was selling her dress on Instagram for '3,000 but people won't shell out too much for second-hand clothes. So, this is the best way to go about it. Just remember to do this in lots of not more than four items, or you will get bombarded with queries," advises Pundir, who will be posting another set this weekend. She also has plans to donate books to kill two birds with one stone — push herself to read the books and get back into the habit, and declutter.

Rohina Anand

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