From Grunge to Glitz : * Fashion show lets kids try different styles and hairdos before big event.

Some of the boys were struggling with cuff links; another had trouble lacing his patent-leather shoes. In a dressing room, the girls primped amid a cloud of hair spray, and one complimented another: “You look babe-ish,” she said. Another girl admitted this would be the first time other students would see her in makeup.

They were all readying for a prom fashion show in April at Saugus High School, where the latest fashions, hair and makeup transformed the teens from grunge to glamour. High glamour seemed to translate to high hairstyles accenting long, slim-fitting gowns.

“Many of us will be wearing our hair up in French twists. It fits with the more elegant, sophisticated styles,” said Amanda Cresap, 16, a junior at Saugus High School who participated in and helped coordinate the fashion show.

Annie Walling, 17, of Saugus High wasn’t sure she’d wear the same hairdo to the prom that she sported for the fashion show. Through the miracle of “lots of pins and lots of hair spray,” a mound of large, stiff curls sprouted majestically from the top of Annie’s head.

“I’m not sure what the hairstylist calls this style, but he saw it at a show and wanted to try it,” she said.

In fashions, one trend appeared to be the fabric of choice for this year’s prom: Velvet seems to have staying power past winter.

“Velvet is hot this year--long, fitted velvet dresses. It breaks all the rules,” said Adriana Farrell, manager of Cruz’s Boutique & Bridal in Saugus.

Tiffany Brey, 17, a junior at Saugus High School, modeled a long, tight-fitting green velvet dress with a choker collar complete with long green gloves during the recent prom fashion show.

“I haven’t bought my dress yet, and I may get this one. I like this one a lot--this is my style,” she said.

Other velvet dresses at the Saugus show included a burgundy floor-length gown with spaghetti straps, a royal blue, long gown with short, puffed sleeves, and black gowns with white accents. Frank Mendez, co-owner of Here Comes the Bride in Thousand Oaks, said the most popular dress at his store is a straight velvet sheath with a white kick train by Loralie for $256.

Black is in big demand at Melissa Bridal in Tarzana. “They want mostly black, mostly long, mostly velvet,” said the store’s owner, Melissa, who wouldn’t give her last name.

While lengthy dresses of subdued hues seem to be au courant , Farrell said the girls and their dresses fall into three basic categories year after year.

“There are the girls who like the sequins; the girls who like poufy, frilly dresses, and the girls who want the sophisticated, straight, black look,” she said.

And of course one of the biggest fashion concerns for girls is getting a one-of-a-kind dress.

Marie Brown, a senior at Taft High School in Woodland Hills, said her fuchsia satin dress is being made because “all the prom dresses in the stores are the same style, and this way, I have no alteration problems.”

And there’s always shopping early at some distant mall.

“Some girls start looking in September for the perfect prom dress,” said Christine Krohn, senior class adviser at Burbank High School. “They go to other towns like Laguna and San Diego. It’s amazing.”