Hundreds of them line the racks.

From the sidewalk, the only color she can discern through the shop window is a gleaming white.

And inside, as she rifles through the lace and pearls, the crinolines and the gloves, she tries to hone in on the perfect dress: not the one in which she will walk down the aisle, but the one she will wear when she’s presented into society’s open arms.

But it doesn’t end there. Once she chooses the dress, there are the socials, or parties, which are often themed and thrown by other debutantes and their families.

During the summer, different cities and towns host dances so the debutantes can get to know each other.

“Invitations for the debutante ball are sent out in May, so I was able to attend dances all summer,” said Natalie McCook, a sophomore in political science who was chosen to participate in the Terpsichorean Club’s annual debutante ball this past September.

And it’s not all about glamour, glitz and sophisticated dresses – it’s about weaving oneself into society’s vast web.

“Since more then 200 girls participate you get to meet a lot of people,” Currie McCook, Natalie’s sister and a 2006 debutante in the ball, said.

Though being a debutante once meant a young woman had reached the age of marriage and was fit to be presented into society, the nearly ancient rituals of courting and arranged marriages no longer hold much influence in the ceremony.

Debutante balls are still common in many towns and cities across the country, and especially in the south.

Currie, a junior in civil engineering, and Natalie said though they don’t know why the Club chose them to participate in the ball, they said they do know family ties influenced the decision to some extent.

“If someone in your family was a debutante, then you will get an invitation,” Currie said.

And the secrecy maintained by the Club isn’t restricted to just Terpsichorean members. Although the debutantes find out who they are in May, they are not allowed to disclose that information to the media until July 1.

“It is very secretive,” Natalie said.

The Terpsichorean Club’s ball is the only statewide ball, although other regions of North Carolina do host their own balls. This year was the 81st annual ball.

“It is an interesting experience because it is such an old tradition,” Currie said.

Though Currie participated in the ball in 2006, she was able to come again this year to watch her sister be presented.

The weekend of the ball begins with a practice on Thursday, the presentation followed by the ball on Friday, and a cocktail on Saturday. Two marshals escort each debutante to the ball: a grand marshal – who is most often the father or uncle – and the assistant marshal, who acts as the debutante’s date.

And though the debutantes spend hours learning dance steps and the order in which they will be presented, according to Currie, the overall experience is worth the effort.

“Other then the practice, the whole weekend is fun,” Currie said.