Yesterday’s dresses, today’s treasures

COSTA MESA — Charlene Hack exchanged a pair of old dresses at Costa Mesa High School Saturday for a pair of new ones — or a pair of retro ones, actually.

The 15-year-old sophomore was among those stopping by for the Parent Teacher Student Assn.’s “Find Your Style Dress Exchange,” which raised money for the school’s recycling program. Charlene, who turned in her ninth-grade homecoming dress along with her sister’s prom dress, located a black-and-green sleeveless gown that reminded her of the type worn by 1980s pop star Pat Benatar, and she even tied her hair in a ponytail to get the full effect.

“‘Love is a Battlefield,’” PTSA President Jana Sullivan said as Charlene exited the dressing room, citing the title of a Benatar smash.

“I know,” Charlene said. “We found ‘Like a Virgin,’ too.”

The dress exchange, which took place most of the day in the school cafeteria, benefited both the PTSA and Women Helping Women, a nonprofit organization that helps low-income women meet basic needs.

Customers could either exchange dresses or purchase new ones for $10, with all the proceeds going to pay for ink to refill printer cartridges at the school. At the same time, all dresses remaining at the end of the day went to the nonprofit.

Sullivan said she started the fundraiser when she realized, through her own daughters, how easily dresses could be passed on.

“I have all girls, and over the years, we’ve accumulated a number of dresses they’ll never wear again,” she said. “We’ve encouraged them to trade amongst themselves, and we thought we could make it into a school-wide thing.”

She added that students from other Newport-Mesa Unified School District high schools had stopped by Friday and Saturday to donate gowns.

One elderly woman even provided a collection of antiquated dresses — which turned out to be usable for modern high school girls, after all.

The theater department, Sullivan said, was busy rehearsing a period piece from the Depression.

MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at michael.miller@latimes.com.