ORANGE : Dresses That Make Prom Dreams Real

It’s as if Cinderella’s fairy godmother paid a visit to the Orange Unified School District.

Piled high on a table in the principal’s office at Orange High School and overflowing onto a couch in the lobby is a rainbow collection of formal gowns, each just waiting for the right girl.

More than 50 dresses, from mini-length lace numbers to full-length taffeta gowns, from sassy to sweet, are being made available to any girl in the school district who wants to attend her school’s prom but hasn’t the money to buy a new gown for one special evening that could take a year of baby-sitting to finance.

This year, prom dresses at local department stores range from about $60 to $400. Sheila Harel and Sarah Alevizon, two Canyon High School mothers, decided that a limited budget is no reason to miss one of the biggest nights of high school life.

About a month ago, they asked their local service club and school parent-teacher associations to seek donations of clothing for disadvantaged families in the district. When a couple of formal gowns appeared among the donations, an idea was born.

“I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could help kids go to their prom?’ ” Harel recalled.

The two women decided to prepare a closet of formal wear that would be ready to rent for next year’s homecoming, winter dances, graduation parties, pageants and proms. But the response from donors eager to clean out their closets for a good cause was so great, the women received enough outfits for girls wear to formal events this month and next.

“These are beautiful clothes,” Harel stressed. “These are not chintzy outfits.”

Housed in the crowded closet of the Home Economics classroom are at least 30 dresses. Twenty or more lay nearby awaiting hangers. There are pink, peach and teal, black lace and sequins, strapless and off-the-shoulder, sizes 3 to 16.

For a chance to wade through the yards of ruffles and flounces, buttons and bows, all a girl has to do is call Harel at (714) 974-1577 and set up a fitting. After the dance, girls return the dress and pay a $10 rental fee that covers dry cleaning costs.

About six girls selected dresses from the closet for the Orange High prom earlier this month. After watching girls scrutinize the new or slightly used fashions, home economics teacher Willy Hall said one thing is certain. There is indeed something for every teen-age taste.

“One girl came in and looked at a mint green dress and said, ‘That’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen,’ ” Hall recalled. “Another girl came in and said: ‘Oh, that’s my favorite color. I want to wear that to the prom.’ ”

For next year, girls can “shop” early and reserve their dresses ahead of time, Harel said. By then, Harel and Alevizon hope to have tuxedos and suits for boys to rent as well. They are also recruiting free hairstyling and manicures to help top off the girls’ evening ensemble.

“Our goal is to allow everyone to go to the prom in something they’ll be proud of,” Harel said. “You’ve got to feel special and get those butterflies.”