Hoboken has its fair share of recent college grads, sticky-floor gin mills, and railroad apartments. What it doesn’t have is shopping. A google search of fashion and shopping in Hoboken yields a list skimpier than Bobby Brown’s career prospects. So when my friend tipped me off to a new dress shop at 728 Washington St, I checked it out(I am a sucker for small biz).

Hera Couture is owned by two friends, Kailtin Virag and Christen Rocco who quit their design jobs in the city when their side biz of making custom bridesmaid dresses took off. They opened a shop three months ago and starting cranking out timeles dresses made from 100% cotton men’s shirting imported from Italy. The lady-like frocks are demure but not stodgy; reminiscent of Jackie O and made with Jack’s shirt. The girls are a bit of a throwback in their aesthetic and set up. It’s rare nowadays to find young independent designers with their own storefronts and not just wholesaling.

They are also launching a full bridesmaids line in September, so there’s a cute option apart from the cool whip confectionary bridal party uniforms.