Baby belles of the ball.

This article focuses on how Grade 6 graduations in Canada are becoming the social events of elementary school. A few weekends ago, in her quest to find the perfect dress for her Grade 6 graduation prom, Adrienne tried on more than 20 candy-coloured numbers at Fashion Crimes & Misdemeanours, a trendy boutique on Toronto's Queen Street West, before settling on a $300 royal blue cocktail dress with spaghetti straps, silver detailing and a delicate lace-up bodice. Increasingly, Grade 6 graduation -- which once consisted of flimsy photocopied diplomas and an early-evening spread of cookies and orange "drink" -- is morphing into the social event of the elementary school year, particularly in affluent communities. Often organized by parents and funded by bake sales and raffles, these dinner-and-dance parties -- whether in the school gym or a rented hall -- generally mark a tween girl's first run-in with high heels, up-dos and slow dancing. As consumers, this generation of nine- to 14-year-olds has come of age earlier than any other in history. Opinionated and media savvy, they influence more than $20 billion in Canadian household purchases a year -- including clothing, magazines, electronics and hygiene products custom-designed for them. They also have parents who are more likely to comply with -- and delight in -- their precocious consumer desires. Formal tween fashion -- much like casual tween fashion -- tends to mirror styles popular among teens and celebrities. To discourage over-the-top dress, some elementary schools now hand out guidelines for appropriate attire, says James McMorran, principal of Roslyn School in Montreal. For some child health experts, the whole idea of a Grade 6 graduation dance seems like too much pressure at a time when girls are particularly vulnerable to low self-esteem.