It’s tempting to get a fresh start to the new year with a fresh wardrobe. And let’s face it: we’ve all been there. Having gone through multiple epic clothing purges in the process of moving homes frequently in the last couple of years, it’s been made embarrassingly apparent to us.

So before we even think about new clothes in a new year, we like to get a good look at the clothes we love and make sure they’re in great shape.

In our loft, we’re lucky enough to have a multi-level walk-in closet (complete with library ladder!) where we can see everything we have, so if something’s looking a little dingy (or worse) it’s obvious. Our rule is that we have to love everything in there, Marie Kondo-style. If we don’t love it, it’s out. We’re also fans of the ‘fewer and better’ approach: Fewer items, but higher quality. That means we have to get serious about looking after our clothes.

Chicago winters are tough on your wardrobe, no question. The biggest victims? Shoes and boots get dry and cracked with salt stains; purses get scuffed and stained from laying on restaurant floors. We gather those pieces up and get them over to Red Star Cobbler for some TLC. We first heard about Red Star from a stylist who recommended them to do touch-up work on a white Miu Miu purse my wife found in a vintage shop and they brought it back to life. Since then they’ve been our go-to spot for all leather, suede and shoe repair.

If you had a vintage sport car you loved to drive, you’d have a great mechanic too, right? It should be the same with shoes. Trust me - they’ll handle better in the snow.