New Jersey natives Marie Moss and Barri Leiner Grant met in Manhattan in 1988. “When you meet another Jersey girl, it’s an instant connection,” says Grant. “You just grow up so similarly.” Sharing a passion for nostalgic accessories, the duo started M&B Vintage, specializing in custom charm bracelets. Their new project, Jersey Girls: The Fierce and the Fabulous (due May 30), characterizes life in the Garden State from lazy days at the beach to late nights at the diner. “We wanted to celebrate the girls growing up in the state and how fabulous it is,” says Moss. Here are some of the authors’ Jersey staples.
Q: How do you define a Jersey girl?
Moss: Jersey girls make the best moms and the best friends because they’re so empowering for each other. We’re like a big support group; we can all rely on each other. As much as we find Jersey girls to be determined, confident and savvy, they’re just as warm-hearted, loving and soulful.
Q: What is the most important Jersey girl accessory?
Moss: Well, there’s two: the pok-a-book and attitude. Those are two accessories that Jersey girls will always have.
Grant: She goes everywhere with her pok-a-book. It’s like a bag of tricks; everything she needs right at her hip.
Q: Favorite Jersey diner?
Moss: Galaxy Diner in Rahway. It’s a family haunt for years.
Grant: The Red Oak Diner on 35. And the Broadway Diner in Red Bank. It’s probably a tie.
Q: Favorite Jersey food?
Moss: Probably vinegar and french fries on the boardwalk.
Grant: The candy apple on the boardwalk, the red one.
Q: Tell me about the style section.
Grant: In the style section, we talk about the infamous mall, because that’s been a character in all our lives, sort of the runway of Jersey girls. It’s where you got your prom dress probably, hung out with your friends on your own for the first time, where you go with your mom to get your ears pierced.
Q: How did designer Jonathan Adler become a Jersey girl?
Moss: Barri was in a meeting with him when we were planning the book, and she told him about it, and he raised his hand and said, “Oooo, I’m your first Jersey girl.”