Emmestyle

Daily double takes don't seem to faze Emme, the Bergen County beauty who's as friendly as she is famous. They happen al Nine West in Englewood while she's trying on a pair of size 11 slingbaeks, at Trautwein Farm in Closter while she"s selecting the ripest avoca- do, or at Kiku in Alpine while she's tucking into sushi. And at the local swim club, where she spent much of last slimmer-and the final weeks of her pregnancy-they even led to pools ide chats. "One woman who was chasing after her little boy stopped in her tracks when she saw me and let her son go. I told her to run ahead and grab him and come back and sit for a while," she laughs. If her neighbors have been known to wonder and whisper, heads awhirl, "Is that Emme? Is that her?", it's probably because when she's out and about, the 5' 11" stun- ner sports sweats rather than designer duds, her face freshly scrubbed and her glowing mane pulled back in a bun. "In my town, people know me for just being me and not the fashion person on TV," says the 38-year-old, who has called Bergen County home since she said" I do" to Phillip Aronson at the Clinton Inn in Tenany almost 12 years ago. "When I'm on TV, they laugh because they say it's amazing to see how I pull myself together, and then when I'm home, they say it's refreshing to know I'm just like all of them." Hcfreshing, indeed. In fact, it's Emme's down-to- earth style and outspoken self-assurance that make the plus-size William Morris model, TV personality (catch her on E! 's "Fashion Emergency"), author (of autobiography True Beauty and the forthcoming Life's Little Emergencies) and designer (of an eponymous clothing line) an appealing role model for women of all ages ... and shapes ... and sizes. And oh, so approachable.

"If I'm shopping in town, women from size 0 all the way up to 24 come up to tile. Little girls, like 10 years old, eluster near me, and I'll turn around and say, '11(~y, guys, what's going on?' and they say, 'Oh, my Cod, I can't believe it's you!'" she says. EMBRACING THE MIRROR IMAGE At 190 pounds (when she's not carrying a hahy), Emtlle, who works on behalf of the National Eating Disorders Association (www.NationalEating- Disorders.org), has made it a personal crusade to help women embrace their mirror images. "I happen to be a larger woman, hig and strong, and I won't be anything dilTerent. What I tell women is let's do other things in our lives hesides heing body-obsessed. Let's learn more about ourselves and regain what we might have lost by focusing our efforts on the way we look," she says. That's not to say the new mom-daughter Toby Cole was born on August 10-isn't concerned about regaining her prep regnancy shape. After all, she does rely on her appearance to make a living. At the same time, however, she's decided to take a realistic tack when it comes to shedding the 50 pounds she gained during her pregnancy. "It will probably take me six months to a year to get back to my normal weight, and I'm going to give that to myself," confides Errane, whose first priority these days is Toby. What's her shape-up strategy? To be sure, it entails following her intuition-not the latest weight- loss fad. "You break free of the perpetual diet syn- drome when you start listening to your body," says the luminous blonde, who swore off dieting six years ago. "You discover that, sure, it's okay to indulge in a pieee of pic because later on your body will be ask

IJlg for a salad with dried cranberries and almonds." Of COtlrSe, it helps when you stock your fridge and pantry with plenty of fresh fruits and vegeta- bles, whole grains, chicken, fish, organic eggs, soy milk and the occasional steak. Yes, she has a v'guilty pleasure chocolate drawer" but feels no need to binge. It's simply there if she wants it. FITNESS PHILOSOPHY Also in Emme's favor: an active nature. "During the week, if I don't get a sweat going for myself, 1 am not the nicest person!" she admits. A lifelong athlete, she says that diversifying one's workou(-ane! striving for overall fitness rather than calorie burning-is key to a boredom-proof regimen. "1 want to work out for the fitness feeling of 'Wow! I actually have control of my bodvy ""Swimming is a staple in my life," adds the celebrity ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (www.njbnlllss.org). "1 just jump in and swim a mile. Or I'll gct up and walk a few miles in (he morning. On the weekends we do a lot of fun stuff, like biking along Edgewater or hiking BE ANYTHING DIFFERENT' in the Boy Scout camp III Alpine.'" And with winter on the way, ElIune's looking forward to cross-country skiing right here in Bergen County. Of course, this year, Emme and Phillip, who is hcr manager, will also have baby Toby in tow. As a ncw parent, Emmc says hcr bond to Bergen County is stronger than ever. Besides keeping her close to family (her in-laws live up the road and sister Melanie Entwistle is providing live-in help), the area offers fertile edu- eational ground that's important to her as she eon- siders Toby's future. "We have a great school sys- tem, with teachers who are out-of-the-box thinkers," notes Emme. There's no question that Toby will also bene- fit from a generous, loving home life. "We hope to instill into this precious little being to be kind and considerate and to follow her passions," says the doting mom. As Emme prepares to celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas with Phillip, Toby and their extended family, she realizes how much she has to be thank- ful for-a beautiful new baby, a rock-solid mar- riage and a stlccessful career that allows her to motivate and inspire others. And on hcr 2002 reso- lution list, wcll, you won't find any wcight-related goals. lnstead, you'll see things like "keeping in touch with friends," "remembering birthdays and anniversaries" and "reaching out beyond myself to help others." If Emme has achieved role-model status, there's good reason why. She's earned it.