It's time to get rid of the excess in your closet. Here are some tips for sorting through your clothes and starting the year off right.

Sorting through your clothes is far from being a fun exercise. This very specific exercise that many often favor at the dawn of a change of season can sometimes turn into a real ordeal.

However, cleaning out your clothes turns out to be beneficial for both your mental health and your wallet.

Of course, saying goodbye is never an easy task, especially when it comes to fashion, but sorting is a bit like jogging: you hate to go, but once you're done, you feel much better.

To help you declutter your wardrobe, GQ has compiled a series of tips to teach you how to sort through your clothes and see things more clearly.

Sort twice a year

After a thorough survey, the GQ team agreed that you should declutter your wardrobe at least twice a year. You can do this at the change of seasons when fall arrives , and again when spring arrives. This will give you a little more clarity as you adjust to the temperatures.

Empty your closet

This is the first crucial step when you want to sort out your wardrobe. Open your closet and empty it. This will allow you to take stock of the situation in order to identify the scale of the task.

If you don't want to be overwhelmed by clothes, proceed step by step, starting for example by putting away pants, sweaters, and so on before tackling the underwear drawers, socks, etc.

Identify the essentials

When sorting through your clothes, set aside the pieces that are important to you, the ones you wear regularly. It is often said that an item of clothing that you have not worn in a year should leave your wardrobe. The items that you love will allow you to define your personal style.

Bet on timeless pieces

To help you see your wardrobe more clearly throughout the year, don't hesitate to create a base of timeless pieces that won't move.

Nothing beats a good pair of Levi's 501 jeans , a well-cut white shirt, a nice leather jacket , a pair of boots, etc. These are all elements that will allow you to build the rest of your wardrobe with stronger and bolder pieces.

Put away seasonal clothes

Many people anticipate the arrival of the summer season or the drop in temperatures by putting aside their summer or winter wardrobe. At the end of the sunny days, don't hesitate to put away shorts, light t-shirts and other swimsuits in a corner of your closet.

The same goes when the mercury rises and it's time to put away down jackets, wool sweaters and thick socks. To play Marie Kondo, considered the queen of "how to sort your clothes", you can optimize space by placing these pieces in retractable covers that you can easily stack in a closet, attic or cellar until the season returns.

Donate to charities

Don't throw away your clothes. As soon as you have identified the items to be disposed of, turn to associations that collect and recycle your clothes , both to transform them and to donate them, such as Le Relais, Emmaüs, Le Secours populaire or the Red Cross.

Some cities like Paris even organize spontaneous collections where you simply leave closed bags in your entrance hall so that they can be collected free of charge in the morning by a carrier.

If you choose this donation solution, make sure that the clothes you donate are in good condition, clean and dry, otherwise they will not be recyclable. Also, make sure to separate shoes and leather goods into different bags to make things easier for the associations.

Resell online

Online resale platforms have become increasingly important in the second-hand fashion market . You can rely on Vinted, Leboncoin, eBay or even Vestiaire Collective if you have luxury items to resell. This technique will not only allow you to give your clothes a second life but also to make a little money.

Adopt immutable principles

In order to maintain some semblance of order and dignity in your closet, it's best to stick to fixed principles like "if something goes in, something goes out."

Knowing this, and living in a small space, things can quickly pile up and it's not uncommon to be overwhelmed by clothes (or in my case, shoes). Make a point of clearing out rooms as often as possible to make room for new arrivals.

Another principle that you can easily stick to is that of “consume responsibly”. Since the fashion industry is one of the most polluting in the world, there is no need to pile up clothes at home that you will only wear once or very rarely. When buying a piece, ask yourself whether you really need it and whether you will really wear it for a long time.

[ Via GQ France]