Winter is finally coming to an end and you’re beginning to emerge from your nest of hibernation – only to be dragged down by the mountains of unused clothes in your closet. Here are some steps you can take to leap into spring in fashion.

Trim the Fat

You might be looking at your bulging wardrobe and wondering, “Where exactly am I supposed to start?” One method of tidying up that’s been taking the world by storm is called the Kon Marie method. Its mastermind, Marie Kondo, recommends that you keep only things that “spark joy” within you. That cute sweater that unfortunately shrunk in the dryer and you’ll never wear again? Get rid of it. Those pair of jeans with the unfortunate hole in the back? Out. The dress with the spaghetti stain on it? You know what to do. Paring down your closet to only the essentials – things that you actually want to wear – will keep your collection practical and on a need-to-wear basis. Hopefully, this will save you the space and the time each morning deciding what to wear.

Don’t Waste

Going through your piles of clothing, you might be tempted to throw all these misfit clothes into garbage bags. Think twice! Is there anything you would like to keep that’s salvageable? Perhaps you or a friend can do some slight mending. Or, why not try to make a buck from all of your hard work? Check around your area for secondhand stores who might be interested in buying your used wares. While you won’t get back what you paid for them, you might still earn more than you think. And with thrift shopping as popular as ever, there’s as big a demand as ever for lightly-used clothes. If all else fails, consider donating your clothes to a shelter. There might be a tangible reward, but it’s nice to know that you’re helping out others.

Fill the Gaps

Now that you’ve trimmed down your closet, you might find that whatever’s left isn’t exactly suitable for spring. Sure, that parka looks nice, but only when it’s freezing outside. When shopping for new spring clothes, consider these two important things: form and function. On one hand, you want your clothes to look smart and impress those around you (duh), but on the other, your clothes have to be suitable for springtime. Think about what’s most comfortable for you: do you prefer to wear skirts or shorts? Tank tops or T-shirts? Maybe a bit of everything? However, it’s imperative that you don’t go overboard. After all, you don’t want to find yourself in the position of getting rid of all your excess clothes again next year.

It might take a few hours, or it might take all day, but in the end, you’ll be glad to have a tidier space. And in the end, only you will know how best to sort through your clothes. But if you follow these steps, you should find that your spring cleaning has been made a little easier. Now, on to the rest of the house!