Prom Dresses Without the Price Tags

It's prom season. And the United Federation of Teachers is inviting public school students from across the city to find their perfect outfit — for free. 

At the union's headquarters in Lower Manhattan Thursday, students sifted through racks of satin, silk and sequins donated by union members and the Long Island Volunteer Center, a volunteer clearinghouse in Nassau County.

The items included new or "gently worn" gowns, suits, shirts, ties, heels, handbags ... as well as the expertise of stylists. "Not formal stylists," said Janella Hinds, the union's vice president of academic high schools. "UFT staffers who are stylish are working as stylists."

Volunteers from the Fashion Institute of Technology helped with fittings and alterations.

There were no income requirements for those who could participate. Students were selected by teachers and counselors. In a single day, more than 1,100 middle and high schoolers from 62 schools cycled through the office-turned-showroom in different shifts. Hinds said it was the second year the union had offered free prom clothes, but last year's event was much smaller.

As a DJ played music in the background, a group of friends from the High School of Arts and Technology on the Upper West Side bounced around the racks. One of them, Senior Kiera Dean, picked out a new red lace dress and said she couldn't wait to show it off.

"I'm going to feel awesome," she said. "I'm going to feel like the top of the world when I wear that dress."