THE BIG NIGHT : From Tuxes to Limos, the Prom Also Serves as a Retailers’ Bonanza

There will be a lot of empty shelf space in Orange County’s formal wear shops this month.

It’s prom time, and that means not only a run on the local tux and fancy dress shops but also a merchandising bonanza for retailers riding the crest of a new wave of popularity for formal affairs for teen-agers.

For formal wear shops and limousine services--plus beauticians, restaurants and even a few harbor cruise operators--the 12-week period that begins in early April means big business.

In affluent Orange County, many retailers say, teen-agers headed to this year’s prom--that adolescent rite of spring--will plunk down more money than ever before.

First of all, there is the prom ticket itself: Figure at least $40 per couple, but it is $75 at Irvine High School, where a pair of prom tickets includes dinner at the Irvine Hilton.

Then there are the accessories, formal wear, transportation and, in many parts of the county, a pre- or post-prom party--and sometimes both.

In the county’s more affluent areas, the price of stepping out in style can climb to $500 or more per couple. It can really get expensive when each half of a couple attends a different high school.

With the exception of an occasional $3,000 yacht rental, most of those dollars are spent on formal wear.

While there are some notable exceptions--Goodwill’s Classic Closet in San Clemente has sold about a dozen prom dresses for $16 to $32--retailers say that many fancy frocks sell from $100 to $200. The exclusive Amen Wardy boutique in Newport Beach’s Fashion Island has sold a few in the $600-to-$1,000 range, store manager Louise Rodnick said.

Few Buy Tuxedos

It’s a bit less expensive to get decked out in a tuxedo because few high school seniors buy them. After all, the purchase price of tux, plus pleated dress shirt, can run from $235 to $1,700 or more for a silk number. Instead, they are rented, at prices--depending on styles and the address of the store--ranging from $25 to $60 for the evening.

And most tux shops can’t keep enough in stock this time of year.

“They’re hanging from the rafters!” Jeanne Gibson, owner of Gingiss Formal Wear stores at Westminster Mall, Mission Viejo Mall and South Cost Plaza, said of tux-seekers. Gibson said the volume of prom business accounts for about 20% of her stores’ annual revenue. And this year, she said, business at her stores has been running about 10% ahead of last year

Nationally, tuxedo rentals is a $600-million-a-year business that has been growing at more than 10% a year, according to the New York-based American Formalwear Assn. A lot of that growth is due to the resurgent popularity of proms.

Some credit the increased emphasis on formality to Ronald and Nancy Reagan and the influence of TV shows such as Dynasty and Falcon Crest.

Rite of Passage

There is also social pressure. “It’s something of a rite of passage in Southern California--just like a driver’s license,” said Maura Eggan, mother of two teen-agers and marketing director for South Coast Plaza shopping center in Costa Mesa.

“And kids are essentially rigid little creatures who want things done a certain way . . . their standards are high,” Eggan said.

Sales have been boosted by a greater selection of fashions. “In the past, vendors didn’t hit on proms. Now, they realize how important it is to younger girls,” said Desiree Ehmoke, a buyer for Nordstrom’s in Los Angeles. The Seattle-based chain this year filled its racks with about 3O% more prom wear than it stocked last year.

At Saks Fifth Avenue in South Coast Plaza, a prom shop set up for the first time this spring has increased formal wear sales by almost 40% from 1986, said Lynn Goughler, Saks’ general manager.

Penelope of California has also been “swamped,” said Penny Griebel, the owner, who added three or four part-timers to her four-person staff to handle eager buyers at the formal wear shop in Orange. Griebel estimated that prom wear sales are up 50% from 1986 and will contribute about 25% of the store’s $140,000 gross sales this year.

Next Come Accessories

For girls, once the dress is bought, the next stop is for accessories. Tabs can range from $50 to $350 for shoes, $30 for hair bows and $75 to $100 for bags. Many hairdressing salons report brisk prom business, as well, for stylings ($15-$115), manicures (about $15), professionally applied makeup ($30) and even eyebrow waxing ($12).

The list of necessities may be smaller for young men, but business is still brisk at stores that cater to them.

At Jim’s Tuxedo Junction in Costa Mesa late last week, owner Jim Hines was frantically trying to fill his orders by “sub-renting” tuxes from other shop owners in New York, Miami, San Francisco and Little Rock.

Last weekend was the busiest of the season “and everyone is sold out” of the most popular styles and sizes, explained Hines, who said about 35% of his business comes from proms.

Hines has been filling many of those orders with the “New Outrageous” shirt--a popular item this year, with wing collars and swirls of red, blue, green and yellow on a white background. “The kids love to dress . . . and you can wear anything” to proms these days, said Hines.

Anything usually includes a shirt, bow tie, cummerbund or vest, and the jacket and trousers. Shoes usually cost an extra $6.

Finally Flowers

Flowers are the final apparel detail for both escorts and their dates.

Young men are expected to plunk down $10 to $20 for corsages, and another $2.50 to $8 for their own boutonnieres.

For florists, the prom trade is a fairly small part of their business, but it does require attention. “A lot of guys will come in and order and the girls will come back and change it because they don’t like it. Everything has to match perfectly,” said Vicki Varn, a sales clerk at Flowers of Orange.

Once everything is matched, getting to the prom is the next problem to worry about.

White stretch limousines are increasingly popular despite their high cost.

One reason is that many parents would rather split the cost of a limo than worry that their teen-agers may possibly drive drunk, or ride with someone who is drunk.

It is also de rigueur.

‘Just the Thing’

“It’s just the thing to do nowadays,” since borrowing dad’s Chevy instead of renting a limo “is like not having a corsage,” said Peggy Newton, a partner in Anaheim Hills’ Princess Carriage Service, which rents chauffeur-driven white Rolls Royces for $276 for four hours.

Crystal Rose Limousine Service in Irvine also has been busy.

Vernell Lawrence, president and owner, said the company’s six limousines--which rent on weekends for $320 to $360 plus 15% gratuity for the eight-hour minimum--are booked for the prom season.

Most of the limousines are occupied by two or three couples who might share baskets or silver trays of goodies from Orange County caterer Chez Panache of Fullerton, which has been doing a brisk business selling them at $10 to $20 per person. “It’s kind of fun and something romantic,” said Deborah Du Shane-Fabrichant, co-owner, who estimates prom business this year is up about 5%. “If the guy is smart enough to think of it, the girl is really dazzled.”

Luxurious Amenity

The teen-ager who wants to really spend money can choose an even more luxurious amenity: yachts. One of the very newest trends is to charter a yacht for a pre-prom harbor cruise at Balboa or Newport harbors. Renting a boat and crew can cost anywhere from about $400 for a 34-foot boat that will seat six to $3,000 for a 95-footer on which 100 guests can party for four hours.

Not everyone in the boat rental business is entirely pleased about the increased demand for prom-night boating parties, however.

“We’ve done it, but only after a good long conversation with adults who sponsor the son or daughter”--and are ultimately responsible, said Mike Zorn, cruise director for Balboa Pacific Yacht Charters. “Invariably, they swear up and down they’re going to be good boys and girls. And nine times out of 10 you have problems with drinking or drugs.”

Still, the company reports about 25% more requests for its yachts than last year. “It’s romantic and it’s fun,” said flower shop clerk Vicki Varn, an El Modena High School graduate who--along with 15 girlfriends--chartered a yacht for a prom several years ago. “We changed clothes, stored our dresses, then sat with our dates and ate hors d’oeuvres,” she recalled.

Dinner First

More often than hors d’oeuvres at sea, prom night begins with dinner at a restaurant.

At the Rusty Pelican in Newport Beach, prom-goers rang up tabs averaging $18 to $20 apiece last weekend and accounted for about 20% of the restaurant’s business, said manager TonjaWright.

Maxwell’s by the Sea for the last few years has offered special prom packages--for instance, steak and lobster dinners with no-alcohol pina coladas--for $49 per couple.

The Huntington Beach restaurant cuts its profits “substantially” on the package, admits manager Jerry Kunitomo. But “it’s a magical night and it sticks in their minds . . . when they look again for an evening like that.”

Afterwards, those who don’t go to post-dance parties may be among the 130,000 students who will visit Disneyland this year on prom night or in the weeks after. Grad night at the Magic Kingdom is $18 per person.

For students and merchants alike, it all makes for a night to remember.

HIGH COST OF STEPPING OUT Proms mean big business for area retailers. In the county’s more affluent areas, the price of stepping out in style can climb to $500 or more per couple, most of it spent on formal wear. Prom tickets $40 to $75 per couple Formal dresses $16 to $1,000 Tuxedo rental $25 to $60 Womens’ shoes $50 to $350 Handbag $50 to $150 Women’s hair styling $15 to $115 Makeup application $30 to $50 Manicure $14 to $15 Men’s hair styling $30 Her corsage $10 to $20 His boutonniere $2.50 to $8 Limousine rental $270 to $350 Yacht rental $400 to $3,000 Restaurant $7.95 to $100 per person