Tidiness at home is universal— it has no nationality. That’s why, even though in recent years Asian (and, more specifically, Eastern) trends have truly reigned supreme when it comes to home organization strategies, we in Europe also have some very interesting alternatives to make our lives easier.
One of the most popular is the method known as BISOU. That’s what we want to talk to you about today—to introduce you to its principles and explain how you can apply it in your daily life at home.
What is the BISOU method?
This is a system for organizing the home that gets its name from the five concepts on which it is based. These concepts are known in French as: besoin (need), immédiateté (immediacy), semblable (similarity), origine (origin), and utile (usefulness). We’ll go into more detail about each of these later, but for now, we can say that this methodology aims to help us achieve order while also raising our awareness so we can adopt sustainable lifestyle habits and practice responsible consumption.
Where does the BISOU method come from?
You don’t have to look very far to find the origins of this movement. Specifically, back in 2015, when its two founders, French authors Marie Duboin and Herveline Giraudeau, created the Facebook group “Budget Management, Mutual Aid, and Minimalism”. In addition, the former has her own blog on responsible consumption , “La Salade à Tout, ” while the latter also writes about environmental and social initiatives on her own site, “Sortez de voz conapts.”
Their joint group on that social media platform was a huge success, which led them to undertake larger projects together, such as their books *Stop Overconsumption* and *Responsible Consumption Makes You Happy*. And as a result of these projects, the BISOU method was born—a wonderful way to bring their ideas together and show thousands of people how to keep their homes organized in a simple and accessible way.
The Importance of Clothing in the BISOU Method
While this system is useful for tidying up and organizing our home, it’s primarily designed to help us with our closet or walk-in closet. Clothing is an important part of its philosophy because, as its creators point out, “up to four million metric tons of new clothing are thrown away in Europe every year”.
They believe this problem stems from the irresponsible consumption habits of many people, who buy on impulse and then never find the time to wear those new clothes. As a result, after taking up unnecessary space in our homes, they usually end up in the trash.
Therefore, becoming aware of this situation is the first step toward understanding the BISOU method and putting it into practice. The goal is to help us become more responsible shoppers, which will help us change our consumption habits and, as a result, protect the environment and keep our homes tidier.
The 5 Big Questions of the BISOU Method
Just like the KonMari method, the BISOU system is based on several pillars. Specifically, it’s based on five questions we can ask ourselves using the French terms we mentioned earlier.
Need: Do I really need to buy this?
Sometimes, when we visit a store, we may feel the urge to buy a piece of clothing or an item. And behind this thought there may be an obvious need—perhaps because we genuinely need the product—or simply a consumerist tendency that encourages us to buy it just to feel satisfied by the mere act of acquiring something we like or that has caught our eye.
Naturally, the BISOU method recommends that we learn to control those impulses and ask ourselves whether we’re really going to use what we’re thinking of buying. So, if there’s no obvious need for it, the next step should be easy: reject the idea and keep our money in our wallet.
Urgency: Do I need what I want to buy right now?
Usually, there is a need behind a planned purchase. But this is not the case with so-called impulse purchases—those in which we see something in a store that catches our eye and we make an immediate decision to buy it.
According to a recent study by the OCU, 44% of Spanish consumers make impulse purchases, 26% even buy things they don’t really need, and 25% end up buying products they hadn’t planned to buy.
In quite a few cases, people who buy on impulse come to regret that initial decision. That’s why the BISOU method advises keeping a cool head and not giving in to “temptation, ” so you have time to reflect and assess whether you really need to buy the product right here and now. Essentially, because taking this time to make the decision will likely help you make the right choice.
Similarity: Does what I want to buy look like something I already have?
Even if we like what we’re seeing in the store, this question can help us figure out how useful the purchase will be to us. If, for example, we already have a similar item or one that serves a similar purpose, it’s probably not worth buying it, since we won’t wear it very often. This will lead us to accumulate more and more clothes in our closet and, as a result, eventually force us to declutter to make room.
Origin: Where does this product come from?
Since the BISOU method is based on principles of sustainability and respect for the environment, it also encourages us to be mindful in our purchasing decisions. In this regard, a product’s usefulness or aesthetics should not be the only factors we consider when making a decision; we should also take into account other details, such as the methods used in its production, its components, and the environmental cost associated with its creation and subsequent sale.
To make all this easier, we can opt for products with an eco-friendly label, as this will assure us that both sustainable materials and processes have been used to bring them to our hands.
Purpose: What am I going to use this object for?
This is precisely what links the BISOU method with the KonMari method. Both recommend applying principles of minimalism so we keep only what we’re actually going to use in our lives. This is important not only so we can make the most of everything we have, but also so we can better tidy up and organize our home—including our closet. Basically, if we follow this to the letter, we won’t have to do excessive cleaning later on.
Organizing is much easier if we shop using the BISOU method
In short: the BISOU method doesn’t tell us how to “get motivated” to tidy up our home, nor does it give us ideas for organizing our closet. Instead, it makes it very easy for us to do so. Because ifwe consume responsibly and from a sustainable perspective, we’ll live with only what we need, avoid accumulating clutter, and, as a result, won’t need to make a huge effort to enjoy a balanced environment.
What do you think? Are you ready to try out the BISOU method?
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