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| 4/20/2009 9:59:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Prepping for prom
LAURI ZACHRY
Education Reporter
Springtime means prom time in Round Rock ISD and the surrounding areas. Girls prepare for this rite of passage by looking for the perfect dress and the accessories to go along with them - and then plan for the perfect evening with their date and friends.
McNeil High School will kick off the high school spring prom season Saturday at the Austin Convention Center. Round Rock High School, Hutto High School and Round Rock Christian Academy will be next to host proms, doing so Saturday, April 25. Round Rock High's prom will be at the Monarch Event Center in Austin while Hutto's prom will be at the Doubletree Hotel in Austin.
RRCA will have its prom, "Moonlight Masquerade," at the Fern Bluff Community Center in Round Rock.
Although the downturn in the national and state economies might have caused those attending prom this year to tighten their budgets more, other students planned to have a simpler prom just because their friends wanted to have a simpler experience as well.
For example, Round Rock junior Clarissa Ulcak purchased a simple, gray floor-length dress and plans to carpool with friends to the prom and eat a medium-priced restaurant instead of more expensive restaurant.
"I don't want to spend $500 on a prom dress," Ulcak said. "I wanted to do things on a budget to get the full experience of everything. I'm looking forward to having a good time and hanging out with my friends."
RRHS junior Ray Martinez is also choosing to carpool with friends and his girlfriend, Remy Plas, to Z-Tejas in Avery Ranch for dinner. To further save money, they plan on taking prom pictures at a friend's house instead of purchasing the package of prom pictures offered at the actual event.
"I'm excited about the whole experience," Martinez said.
Sue Scheele, owner of Classy Concepts Design in Round Rock for two years, helps high school girls purchase and rent prom dresses. Classy Concepts Design rental fees range from $29 to $49 for most of the brand new, fashion forward dresses in the store. She said rental fees are based on the size, season and age of each gown. Classy Concepts Design also offers shoe, jewelry and headpiece rental for prom attire.
Scheele said the trends for high school proms this year include dresses with animal prints, novelty prints such as polka dots and metallic fabrics, and shorter dresses as opposed to more floor-length dresses. She said girls are dressing in more of the rock-a-billy style for prom. Scheele said girls are even wearing pillbox hats with feathers this year when in previous years girls only wore their hair down or in a more formal up do.
"The trends resemble the 1980s but it's not officially the 1980s style," Scheele said. "We've seen more glamour this year for the prom. Heavily beaded dresses are big this year too. Bling is the thing this year."
To further promote the concept of renting formal dresses, Scheele hires prom representatives from area high schools to give their female peers vouchers to further explain the concept of renting. These vouchers entitle customers to $10 off a rental or a free clean and steam. These prom representatives receive $5 for each redeemed voucher which can go toward the purchase or rental of a dress, Scheele said.
"Last year, we saw more girls purchasing their prom dresses at our store, but through the help of the media and blogs more girls have become acclimated to the idea of renting a prom dress," Scheele said. "When you rent a dress it frees up your funds and allows you to have more money to get your hair done, rent a limousine and eat out at a nice restaurant."
Even though they don't technically rent tuxedos at their store location, Classy Concepts Design refers guys needing tuxedos to Al's Formal Wear, Scheele said.
Classy Concepts Design is also showcasing prom fashions during Stony Point's Prom Fashion Show Saturday at 7 p.m. in the school's cafeteria.
Round Rock Flowers and Gifts in downtown Round Rock has partnered with the RRHS DECA organization to sell prom corsages and boutonnieres at the school and at the store. The DECA students will receive 20 percent of the profits from the corsages and boutonnieres sale to go toward funding their trip to the international competition in Anaheim, Calif. , said RRHS DECA teacher Taryn Trevino. The boutonnieres range from $10 to $15 while the corsages range from $15 to $25.
Stony Point High School's prom is Saturday, May 2 at the Hyatt Regency Austin on Lady Bird Lake. Westwood High School's prom is Saturday, May 9 at the Hyatt Regency Austin on Lady Bird Lake.
For more information about prom fashions, visit classconceptsdesign.com. For more information about how to donate to the RRHS DECA trip to the international competition in California, e-mail Trevino at taryn_trevino@ roundrockisd.org or call her at 464-6064.
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