https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:39:18 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169944 Thu, 04 Feb 2021 09:34:53 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2169944@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks JAileen! I was hoping someone would give a fuller translation. Sounds like the meaning in the original is much less, is more superficial, than the “joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart” that I’d been thinking of. No wonder her methods can lead to people thinking that buying a thing can make them happy. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169911 Wed, 03 Feb 2021 22:43:58 +0000 Jenni NZ 2169911@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Great article thanks J’Aileen! Maybe that’s why ( on Sal’s thread) I didn’t have that many items that actually “sparked joy”, not that many of my clothes made me feel like my heart beat faster! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169904 Wed, 03 Feb 2021 21:57:19 +0000 JAileen 2169904@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Here’s an article about the translation from the Japanese, of ‘spark joy’. &nbsp;<br /><div><br /></div><div><a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/marie-kondo-tokimeku-spark-joy-translation-266496">https://www.apartmenttherapy.c.....ion-266496</a></p> <p></div> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169902 Wed, 03 Feb 2021 21:26:34 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2169902@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>JenniNZ, speaking of regional differences, the kind of “buy-yourself-happy” attitude Cat2 describes is one I’ve heard criticized in several American groups. Not sure if that means we’re worse at that than others, or that we are figuring it out and moving past it more quickly. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169899 Wed, 03 Feb 2021 21:12:23 +0000 Jenni NZ 2169899@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Cat2 would you mind awfully putting a tiny bit in your profile? I’m guessing you are in the US and possibly California, it does help with a vague picturing of the person and “placing” them in one’s head. I have appreciated your threads and am glad you stayed. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169881 Wed, 03 Feb 2021 19:24:04 +0000 Anonymous 2169881@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Fully supporting Cat2</p> <p></p> </p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169878 Wed, 03 Feb 2021 19:06:30 +0000 Jenni NZ 2169878@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don’t actually find cat2 harsh in this thread but am interested that some of you have. I think she is talking about people she knows. Many concepts can I guess be taken too far and cause some other issue like the search for perfection and the possible associated waste.<br /> I did like Jules’ idea in this thread of sometimes a gut feeling by pulling something out as to whether you do want to keep it or that you don’t like it any more. I have used that, in my case it is after much too long hanging onto said item and not loving it but being reluctant to let go due to either sunk cost or making sure I would not regret letting it go, as per another thread. So as usual, it depends on what one’s usual personal issues or challenges are in wardrobe management! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169857 Wed, 03 Feb 2021 17:18:10 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 2169857@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I struggled with ‘sparks joy’ when MKs book first came out, and I think we talked about it here at the time. I was raised a Calvinist Midwesterner and material objects weren’t supposed to spark joy - they were supposed to be practical and functional. (There’s also a lot of misogyny in there about how women only care about aesthetics and how things look is unimportant and shallow and ‘big city’ immoral that I’m still trying to unpack.) </p> <p>I suspect that the original phrasing in Japanese probably has some nuance that isn’t captured in the translation, not to mention the cultural context of Shinto in Japan and the idea that objects have a spirit or soul (wildly overgeneralizing, sorry). Also, she never says that items should spark joy constantly; just that you should use the question for when culling to help make decisions about what to keep and what to let go. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169852 Wed, 03 Feb 2021 16:18:27 +0000 Irina 2169852@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>&nbsp;“<i>I love the monastic virtue signifier, that’s exactly it! Like boasting about how many bags they things they donated? It’s yet another display of wealth if undertaken in the wrong spirit.”</i></p> <div><br /></div><div>cat2, aren’t you a bit harsh? I edit my home like I edit my closet. I don’t keep things that were bought by mistake, given me by other well intentioned people or no longer in use. I don’t see anything wrong with it. Maybe because I’m not in a UMC group? :)<br /></div></p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169828 Wed, 03 Feb 2021 14:14:07 +0000 cat2 2169828@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Janet, you have such a great eye!</p> <p>UmmLila, I love the monastic virtue signifier, that’s exactly it! Like boasting about how many bags they things they donated? It’s yet another display of wealth if undertaken in the wrong spirit.</p> <p>To those who insist on joy as the standard, I just want to flag that from this thread it’s clear that for many that may not be the shared threshold for wardrobe entry or retention, and that an intersection of utility, budget, time, priority and fit challenges results in other standards that should be supported. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169770 Wed, 03 Feb 2021 04:13:25 +0000 Anonymous 2169770@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Fashintern - please check your PM’s . </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169757 Wed, 03 Feb 2021 02:41:33 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2169757@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>UmmLila, I thought I was the only one! “Beats the crap out of me” is what I found. (As JenniNZ posted earlier, UMC refers to “upper middle class”).<br /> I’m laughing at your very on-point phrasing of throwing things away to have less as some sort of monastic virtue signal, and can really identify with your last paragraph. If I like it, I like it for keeps. I’m the same way with friends. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169753 Wed, 03 Feb 2021 02:34:30 +0000 UmmLila (Lisa) 2169753@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I still haven’t figured out BTCOOM. I guess I’m inept at googling social terminology. But I get the idea that some people with too much believe that throwing things away for the sake of having less is a sort of monastic virtue signifier. </p> <p>I might be more like Smaug or Gollum with my precious treasures. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169741 Wed, 03 Feb 2021 01:27:56 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2169741@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Sarah, I agree with you and will go a little further to say that joy that comes out of our interaction with an item is much richer than the phenomenon Cat2 described. I haven’t read MK’s book (shocker) but I have to think the idea of buying joy is a misrepresentation of her thought. Just before reading your comment here, I expounded a bit on Sal’s thread about items that bring joy, about the different ways that can happen. “Retail joy” is a cheap version, because it lacks dimension. We don’t have to constantly wear the clothing equivalent of velveteen rabbits that have become “real” but it is entirely possible for the pendulum to swing much too far in the opposite direction from that.</p> <p>Janet, what a lovely, warm home!</p> <p>Fwiw, I think people are misinterpreting “joy” to mean “happy” or “giddiness” or “invoke rapture” (nice one, cmh) or some other fleeting emotion. I guess that’s what it is to some people, but to me its meaning is a deeper, abiding, peaceful contentment, satisfaction, pleasure at life in an anchored kind of way. I like Cat2’s table linen example. </p> <p>Lisa, sounds like things are rough right now. Sorry to hear that.</p> <p>I’m surprised how many people had to google UMC—but then I had to google BTCOOM. Thank goodness for google; how did we ever live without it, lol? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169635 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 18:37:41 +0000 SarahD8 2169635@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'll be the earnest spanner and say that *finding* the spark of joy in all possessions can be a really good exercise.</p> <p>Like, "wow, this bright fuchsia sweater is my favorite color and wearing it really cheers me up and energizes me"&nbsp; and "wow, these jeans really fit nicely and have held up well through dozens of washes" are different forms of joy but one isn't lesser than the other.</p> <p>Partly what I'm saying is that joy doesn't have to be merely aesthetic, it can also come out of usefulness -- and in fact sometimes grows from repeated use.</p> <p>(For similar reasons I'm trying not to talk about "decluttering" anymore but refer to "editing" instead -- it's more respectful to the items/objects in question!) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169631 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 18:15:06 +0000 Irina 2169631@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Items that spark pure joy are the items from my fantasy life, where I’m in a cream cashmere coat and cream boots with an absurdly expensive bag So, they are not the things I buy. As for what I have, “I like it” is sufficient. And I MKed my house before I even knew about her or her method :)<br />I don’t evaluate my stuff on “what brings joy” metrics necessarily. I just feel overwhelmed by clutter and have a bit of OCD so I edit often. What &nbsp;I keep must be either useful or evoke good feelings.<br />&nbsp;I’m on a self imposed challenge to get rid of 1 item per day for 30 days. It’s not coming only from my closet, mostly these are things I keep for no apparent reason like costume jewelry or a set of plates I never use. I don’t do it so I can buy more, I want someone else to put in good use instead of gathering dust in my home. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169604 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 16:21:04 +0000 Anonymous 2169604@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I've never bought into the sparking joy concept or felt it applied to me anyways. &nbsp;No idea what a UMW or whatever the acronym is, but I'm just trying to get through the day looking as least-bad as I can . If I don't hate what I'm wearing, I'm having a good day, let's put it that way. &nbsp;Sparking joy and using that to edit? &nbsp;I'd be left with nothing . &nbsp;Which is about the state of mind I'm in these days anyways ;)&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169601 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 16:08:44 +0000 Helena 2169601@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Nodding along ... there is "wow isn't this top/boots/jacket/home beautiful I love it so much" joy, and there is "wow aren't I lucky my toilet flushes and I am on a functional public sanitation system" ... both are important, even if they don't quite evoke the same emotions! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169600 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 16:04:29 +0000 Jules 2169600@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ironically enough I think many people on this thread would actually enjoy a podcast called Spark Joy - it's hosted by two certified Marie Kondo consultants but it's not an official MK enterprise. Anyway they are obviously fans of MK and her methods but they also acknowledge, among other things, that many western homes are a lot larger than Japanese apartments and the decluttering process may take longer and look different than MK suggests. They have interesting guests discussing a variety of lifestyle topics, some of whom are focused on wardrobe like "eco-stylist" Kaitlin Stewart, who believes in "being a conscious consumer and unapologetic thrifter', or recycling expert Adam Minter, who explains where our donated clothing items end up, which I found pretty fascinating. It's a good podcast to listen to while working on house stuff like tidying, organizing, repurposing, etc. Not at all limited to people who have done or are doing a Marie-style purge.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169596 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:30:27 +0000 celia 2169596@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>BTCOOM :), Yes definitely I have some of these items and they are my best friends at times.<br />Regarding the sparking joy, sometimes I just want clothing that feels like a nice warm hug . </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy/page/2#post-2169595 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:30:24 +0000 Janet 2169595@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Cat2, exactly! You get it. </p> <p>Our home has a contemporary style — it’s a post and beam built in the late 80s and our preferred decor style is contemporary meets Asian. But I’ve worked in some old beloved pieces inherited from my parents (and from mom’a uncle, the closest thing I ever knew to a grandfather). Plus gifts from friends and way too many plants. The effect is a bit eclectic but I like it. When I clear too much stuff out it gets a little sterile for me, and too much stuff out gives me anxiety. But for now I am taking joy from my surroundings, which is even more important than ever during this time when we are all staying home so much. Pics below are all integrating and repurposing things I found while cleaning out. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy#post-2169585 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 14:22:41 +0000 cat2 2169585@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Janet, we have been through several cycles with inherited or downsized pieces. At first it was overwhelming— I had the remaining table linens from four women who loved their tabletops. I started restoring one piece at a time and using them mixed with my things when we host extended family dinners, and it ended up being a spark for family storytelling and has been a blessing, not a burden. My last holiday event included repurposing my grandmother’s embroidered bridge napkins as cocktail napkins, and her extensive glassware on the table mixed with our wedding patterns and my mom’s silver. I ended using so many things that on initial inspection I rejected as Not Me, but that over time found a use, like a burnt orange linen tablecloth that ended up being a great base for a small Thanksgiving, or an ornate candy dish that added just the right bit of eclecticism to a dessert buffet. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy#post-2169582 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 13:57:31 +0000 Janet 2169582@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ok, I’m a fan of the idea of “sparking joy” in some sense, but not all joy is ecstatic, right? Some is definitely more aptly termed “sparking satisfaction.” And of course I like the quote Helena provided and it comes to mind often, as I have been working on our home — I’ve been cleaning out many, many stored items in the basement, most inherited and some sentimental. I’ve been trying to look at things with fresh eyes, being critical of their usefulness and whether I do or will enjoy them, but also keeping open to new possibilities for things I’ve been overlooking. I’ve been feeling remarkably peaceful around the letting go of a lot of things, and kind of enjoying the process of trying out some things in our home to see if they should stay. So I like the concept when it’s rooted in practicality and appreciation, not some impulse to jettison everything that doesn’t make the owner swoon. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy#post-2169579 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 13:49:32 +0000 RobinF 2169579@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I agree that Joy is a hard goal to meet for me. I would much rather use the Satisfaction as the marker. Usefulness too of course to earn its keep. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy#post-2169578 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 13:23:39 +0000 cat2 2169578@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>TorontoGirl, I love the William Morris quote! That adds the element of functionality that I was missing in all of the MK discussions. I do also have pieces that meet the joy bar such as some of my silk pieces and some of my event wear, but almost everything else is best described as having quiet satisfaction associated with it, and I think that’s ok. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy#post-2169562 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 09:41:51 +0000 Star (Lise) 2169562@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>JenniNZ</b>, your way is my longer term goal, </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy#post-2169553 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 07:27:06 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2169553@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Helena, yes! That Wm Morris quote is a favorite of mine. In my head, “useful” also includes “not overly damaging to the rest of the world for the good it does you”. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy#post-2169549 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 05:06:41 +0000 slim cat 2169549@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Some pieces spark a lot of joy, some - I call "whatever". Sometimes "whatever" items become really useful completers and get a different name in the process .&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy#post-2169531 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 02:29:08 +0000 Jaime 2169531@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Before there was sparking joy as a metric there were the earlier generation of internet blogger/minimalists who spent huge amount of money and/or effort on the single perfect thing. But there are always those people that will take anything to an extreme no matter which bubble they find themselves.&nbsp;<br />I like Helena's quote. Useful or beautiful works for me. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spark-joy#post-2169525 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 02:06:40 +0000 rachylou 2169525@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have to admit I flat out didn’t get it. I’ve got a triple-whammy heritage of stoicism. Mother told me when I was little that my name meant Born To Suffer and I believed her, lol </p>