sydneyDMBfan
Jul 13, 2009, 10:12 PM
High school prom season in full swing
The Richmond Times-Dispatch
25 April 1990
SUSAN HANKINS Staff writer
Carter Beauford's busy season began April 7.
That Saturday evening, two area high schools held proms. Beauford, who is warehouse manager for The Groom's Corner, a men's formal wear rental chain, supervised the work needed to get tuxedos and morning coats ready to be rented and worn.
Patrick Henry High School in Hanover County and Thomas Dale High School in Chester held their proms that night.
The Groom's Corner has 10 stores throughout the area, but all formal wear is cleaned and stocked in the Chesterfield warehouse on Granite Spring Road, near Cloverleaf Mall. About 2,000 tuxedos and tail coats with trousers are usually stocked in the warehouse.
But for the rest of April and May, "this place is going to be completely empty," Beauford said.
The company's warehouse has been in Chesterfield only since last spring, Beauford said. Before that, formal wear was stored at the Carytown store in Richmond.
The business crunch won't end until July, Beauford said, because June is a favorite month for weddings.
In Chesterfield County, prom season peaks over the next three weekends. Lloyd C. Bird High School's prom is Friday; Manchester's is the next night; Matoaca High School holds its prom May 4. Meadowbrook and Clover Hill have their proms May 11. Monacan's is the next night. Midlothian's prom is May 19, and Huguenot High School in South Richmond has its prom May 25.
Trinity Episcopal School's prom is also this Saturday night.
Beauford has marked many of the prom nights on a calendar in the warehouse office.
"It's a busy time of the year," said Tom Depcrynski, owner of The Groom's Corner. "It's the prom season."
His preparations for the rash of proms include making sure the company has an ample number of tail coats and a color spectrum of cummerbunds and matching bow ties.
The Groom's Corner has 30 colors of cummerbunds and ties in stock.
"The most popular one is this candy color," Beauford said, pointing to a raspberry-colored cummerbund.
Other people might call it hot pink or fuchsia, but at The Groom's Corner, it's referred to as "candy."
Hanging from hooks on a large pegboard in the center of the warehouse were several hundred cummerbunds. Six shades of blue cummerbunds are stocked, from the lightest ice blue to a peacock blue and royal blue, which is another popular color for high-schoolers, Beauford said.
The clothing rents for $52.95 to $79.95. Shoes are an additional $12.95.
A Groom's Corner store is part of the warehouse operation. Beauford says he enjoys helping high school students pick out their clothes -- up to a point.
"It's fun in the beginning, but after a while there gets to be 30 kids in here," he said. "It's crazy. It's just real chaotic."
Some of the teen-agers take their girlfriends with them to the shop, some go with their parents and others go by themselves, Beauford said ....
(this article has been edited in length)
The Richmond Times-Dispatch
25 April 1990
SUSAN HANKINS Staff writer
Carter Beauford's busy season began April 7.
That Saturday evening, two area high schools held proms. Beauford, who is warehouse manager for The Groom's Corner, a men's formal wear rental chain, supervised the work needed to get tuxedos and morning coats ready to be rented and worn.
Patrick Henry High School in Hanover County and Thomas Dale High School in Chester held their proms that night.
The Groom's Corner has 10 stores throughout the area, but all formal wear is cleaned and stocked in the Chesterfield warehouse on Granite Spring Road, near Cloverleaf Mall. About 2,000 tuxedos and tail coats with trousers are usually stocked in the warehouse.
But for the rest of April and May, "this place is going to be completely empty," Beauford said.
The company's warehouse has been in Chesterfield only since last spring, Beauford said. Before that, formal wear was stored at the Carytown store in Richmond.
The business crunch won't end until July, Beauford said, because June is a favorite month for weddings.
In Chesterfield County, prom season peaks over the next three weekends. Lloyd C. Bird High School's prom is Friday; Manchester's is the next night; Matoaca High School holds its prom May 4. Meadowbrook and Clover Hill have their proms May 11. Monacan's is the next night. Midlothian's prom is May 19, and Huguenot High School in South Richmond has its prom May 25.
Trinity Episcopal School's prom is also this Saturday night.
Beauford has marked many of the prom nights on a calendar in the warehouse office.
"It's a busy time of the year," said Tom Depcrynski, owner of The Groom's Corner. "It's the prom season."
His preparations for the rash of proms include making sure the company has an ample number of tail coats and a color spectrum of cummerbunds and matching bow ties.
The Groom's Corner has 30 colors of cummerbunds and ties in stock.
"The most popular one is this candy color," Beauford said, pointing to a raspberry-colored cummerbund.
Other people might call it hot pink or fuchsia, but at The Groom's Corner, it's referred to as "candy."
Hanging from hooks on a large pegboard in the center of the warehouse were several hundred cummerbunds. Six shades of blue cummerbunds are stocked, from the lightest ice blue to a peacock blue and royal blue, which is another popular color for high-schoolers, Beauford said.
The clothing rents for $52.95 to $79.95. Shoes are an additional $12.95.
A Groom's Corner store is part of the warehouse operation. Beauford says he enjoys helping high school students pick out their clothes -- up to a point.
"It's fun in the beginning, but after a while there gets to be 30 kids in here," he said. "It's crazy. It's just real chaotic."
Some of the teen-agers take their girlfriends with them to the shop, some go with their parents and others go by themselves, Beauford said ....
(this article has been edited in length)