Girls in White Dresses is the delightful chronicle of young middle-class African American women in Oxnard, California, who eagerly participate in the coming-of-age ritual of the debutante ball. The film captures the community’s excitement as it gears up for the highlight of the social season and shares the history of this tradition.

Organized by older women in the Onyx Club, the balls uphold members’ ideals of proper etiquette and conduct for middle-class young ladies—ideals which are often in conflict with the opinions of the teenage girls. The debutantes must learn proper table manners and how to formally present themselves with their escorts. They go shopping with their mothers for appropriate dresses, which are frequently more modest than the girls would prefer. The film also shares the story of the girls’ community service and fundraising efforts, an integral part of their coming out process. Despite the generational conflicts that flare, Girls in White Dresses is ultimately a film of celebration of an important cultural rite.