If celebrity wardrobe stylist, Mimi James, can dress Julia Roberts, Tyra Banks, Denzel Washington, Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise to the hilt, she can dress you, too. And that's precisely what the LA native and recent NJ transplant proposed to do when she opened 4B, 4B West Front St., in December.

She and her TV and film writer/producer husband, Cooper James, New Jersey native, moved back from LA to raise a family. Mimi still does what she loves, but with more people during the course of a day and fewer egos, she says. "Opening a store seemed a natural transition from styling."

4B fashions include up-and-coming designers like Habitual, Laila Azhar, Clu and Luba J, popular in Manhattan, LA, Lond and Paris. Whether you're an urban girl or a hipster mama, this boutique is jammin’ with the most currently cool pieces sprinkled with vintage jewelry, belts and bags for balance. You might fall for a faux bag for $60 or the real deal Italian python bag for $3,000. Either way, if you leave it up to Mimi, you can look like a million bucks.

Her sister-in-law, Jamie Cooper, claims a 4B outfit "worn for a serious occasion can lighten your mood," she says. "Shopping for clothes is meant to be fun. ...She will put you together if you want her to. She loves it. It's to the point where people come in and buy everything she's wearing. She's amazing."

Upon entering Rok+Lola, at 23 East Front Street, your mood might get a boost by gazing at the record albums on the shelves: Blondie, David Bowie, John Lennon, Elvis Costello among others.

"My family has always been into fashion and is always up on the latest trends," says Jill Dente, 31, a fashion editor who has worked for various New York magazines. "The albums belong to my Dad, Joseph Dente, a huge rock-'n'-roll fan."

Jill joined her brother, Joe Dente, and their mother, Barbara, a former paralegal from Staten Island, to expose hard-to-find urban-chic lines popular in LA and New York. At the moment, Jill is inspired by Jackie O, but also recommends checking out the Louis Cho 1960s mod dress for $187 and Barking Irons Old Manhattan Tees for men for $59.

"You can find a really cool T-shirt for $27 but you can also find the new 'it' bag for $500," says Jill. "We cater to a consumer who likes to mix less-expensive items with expensive jeans, shoes or a bag."

If you happen to boogie into the shop feeling slightly clueless, try asking for help or making an appointment with one of their celebrity stylists or fashion consultants.

The Bees Knees

Both the preppy and trendy crowds alike can finally shop in harmony. Shoppers will find a unique mix of clothing and accessories at The Bees Knees chic boutique, located in the front half of Broad Street’s Fire House Specialty Shop, owned by Chuck Hendrickson — Kristen's father. Trina Turk, Tibi, Lilly Pulitzer and Vineyard Vines are just a few of the fabulous designers they flaunt within the pretty pink and green decor.

While fashion doesn't necessarily make the woman (or man), it sure can make them happy. About four years ago, co-owners Kristen Hendrickson Winters and Meghan O'Neill were shopping in New Orleans during Kristen's bachelorette weekend, when they happened upon a boutique owned and operated by an ambitious young woman.

Brimming with inspiration, they set the plan in motion to open the kind of shop they believed the area had been missing. Kristen quit her job teaching math, while Meghan moved from New York City back home and quit her job in the fashion industry. After researching and contacting their favorite lines, then decorating the store, they opened Oct. 25, 2004.

"Men, women and kids can all find great things at the Bees Knees," said Meghan. "It's a family store. We love to talk with our customers and get to know them. It's so great that after almost three years we have met and become friends with so many of our customers. It makes working here such a fun experience."

If you dress with an edge people admire, or wish you did, you’ll be glad to have discovered Christine Zilinski’s parade of underground designers from New York, Italy, Paris and Montreal. Her new shop for men and women carries an intriguing array of innovative, yet completely wearable clothes, with a splash of trendy-wear, along with make-up and accessories ranging in price from about $70 to $250.

Also on Monmouth Street, two doors down, is Salon Concrete, which she opened six years ago. At 32, Christine is a woman on a fashion-crazed mission — to join forces with other like-minded business owners to create an irresistibly solid fashion scene in Red Bank.

"The merchandise developing in town is exciting," she says of her contemporaries. "I think these types of stores need to work together to get people in town more often and to stay in town to shop longer."

Need a local scaled-down version of "How Do I Look?" (on the Style network)? Christine often works with customers on a personal level to create an intimate shopping experience.

The former Vidal Sassoon educator still travels to teach stylists about the finer points of the salon business."A stylist should be someone you trust to help make you look good because of the way they look, dress and speak," she says. "I’m highly inspired by fashion. Eventually, I’d like to combine the salon and boutique in one big store."

If you’ve never come across the name Von Dutch, it’s either because you’re a stranger to the West coast or you don’t care a thing about motorcycles. Artist Von Dutch (born Kenneth Howard, died in ‘92) popularized pin-striping and flame jobs on hot rods and custom motorcycles in the late-'40s.

Victor Conti, store owner, who discovered his passion for motorcycles at age 12, is just the man to introduce the artistic genius of Von Dutch. Victor's flashy physique and European background (Italian and Russian) complement the fabulously sleek and colorful line of clothing, cycles and accessories.

Victor, 56, who also owns Avante Salon & Day Spa in Manalapan and soon-to-be in Red Bank, happens to ride one of the same cycles displayed on the floor of the new shop.

"I love it," he says about the bike, and riding in general. "The freedom.... It's sexy and it gives you the feeling you're flying in the air. People who ride are cool. They respect others and stick together."

About 300 bikes are hand-crafted per year. Once you’ve seen the work of art that is a Von Dutch bike, you’ll recognize one a mile away.

Runway 11 is Red Bank's answer to European shopping for teens and up. The store opened Memorial Day weekend with an original selection of Rinascimento Italian designer clothing and accessories.

If you yearn for Italian leather, handmade python bangle bracelets ($50) designed by Danielle Guercio and Kimberly Woodbury, local artists and students of The Fashion Institute, New York, are a perfect perk for any outfit.

Kelly Ryan, celebrity make-up artist and Mark Weiss, celebrity photographer famous for his rock-'n'-roll portfolio, have joined forces "to bring a modern, youthful edge to the Red Bank fashion scene with the best quality of styling and photography," says Kelly, whose client list includes Kelly Clarkson, Rachel Bilson, Claudia Schiffer and Abercrombie and Fitch models, among others.

One of her favorite items at the moment is a brown Rinascimento party dress ($140) with tulle underlay and buttons down the front. "It's an adorable dress for nearly any occasion."

She will offer her expertise in make-up (air brush and otherwise) and bronzing in the store.

--YNF 2006