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Jan. 25--When Sylvia Gomes Duarte became Miss Connecticut in 1999, it seemed like a stepping stone to an exciting and glamorous life for the Bridgeport native.
Those suspicions were later confirmed when she went on to finish in the top 10 at the Miss America Pageant, the first Miss Connecticut in nearly 20 years to do so.
Duarte, now 28 and living in Glastonbury, said, even though she didn't win, the experience was life-changing. "I felt proud and humble at the same time," she said. "It opened up many, many possibilities for me."
Her parents, Maria Isabel and Louis Gomes, were also present at the pageant, then held in Atlantic City, N.J. The Portuguese immigrants and owners of the Bridgeport marina and bait tackle shop, Lou's Boat Basin, proudly watched their daughter compete in the pageant -- but they were a little disappointed by the outcome. "She should have won," said Maria Isabel Gomes, 54, of Bridgeport.
Nowadays, Duarte primarily regards herself as a wife and mother to her sons, 2-year-old Peter, and 10-month-old Andrew. But she is also a budding entrepreneur, starting her own business selling pageant gowns and accessories.
"Miss Connecticut feels like a lifetime ago," Duarte said. "Peter could care less if I was Miss Connecticut. He wants a cookie, and he wants it now."
She still watches the pageant -- which this year airs at 8 p.m. Monday on CMT -- but now it's mostly as a businesswoman, looking for clues as to what contestants are wearing. Duarte also has strong opinions regarding the controversies that have surrounded another major beauty competition, the Miss USA Pageant.
In December, Miss USA Tara Conner almost lost her crown after reports surfaced of the beauty queen's heavy drinking and hard partying.
Other Miss USA scandals soon followed. Miss Nevada Katie Rees was stripped of her crown after photos of her kissing another girl appeared online, and, last week, Miss New Jersey Ashley Harder announced she was pregnant and relinquished her title.
The controversies are disheartening, Duarte said, as these women are supposed to be role models. "It's one of the few jobs where your personal behavior after-hours affects your ability to do the job," she said.
Duarte's path since the Miss America pageant has been notably less controversial, but has twists and turns of its own. Before the pageant, Duarte was studying art history at Holy Cross College in Worcester, Mass., and planned to teach in that field. But her experience with the pageants convinced her she might be better suited to another career -- broadcasting.
"I really enjoyed my year as Miss Connecticut," Duarte said. "I liked meeting new people, and seeing new places.
She attended broadcasting school at Boston University and then landed a dream job, reporting the news for the local ABC affiliate, WGGB-TV in Springfield, Mass. But then her life changed again. In 2003, she married Daniel Duarte, whom she'd met shortly after becoming Miss Connecticut. She also decided to have children and gave up broadcasting to be a stay-at-home mom. "It was a big decision," she said "But I took comfort in the fact that so many moms were doing the same thing."
Duarte's mother was surprised by her daughter's decision, but understood her choice. "Nobody else can take the role of the mother," Gomes said. But, Duarte didn't stop working completely. Believing she knew a thing or two about the pageant world, she sells gowns to aspiring pageant queens through her Web site, www.shoppageant.com. Clients may choose from designers such as Cassandra Stone, Jovani and Demetrios. Shoes, jewelry and accessories are also available through the site.
She started the business in 2004 and has outfitted a number of area beauty contestants, including this year's Miss Connecticut, Heidi Voight, 24, to whom Duarte sold dresses for two of her tries at the title. Duarte has also provided dresses to multiple winners of Miss Connecticut USA to wear during the Miss USA competition. "She's a very caring person," said Miss Connecticut USA Director Fred Wright. "And she's not a pushy salesperson."
In the beginning, clients made appointments to come to her home, and go through the dresses in her showroom. She also did some consulting, helping young women polish their pageant skills.
The business grew, and Duarte knew it would soon be too big for her home. She would either have to pare it back, or open her own storefront. The latter would have gone against her original purpose for opening her own business -- spending time with her children.
If she opened a store, "I'd be married to it all the time," Duarte said.
Instead, she decided to have an Internet-only business. She sometimes does alterations or other special requests, as well as a little pageant consulting, but still has plenty of time to focus on her boys.
Duarte said she's impressed with Voight, and that she has an "above-average chance" of winning this year's Miss America Pageant.
In fact, Duarte said Connecticut has produced a number of impressive candidates for both Miss America and Miss USA. And she's proud that women from her home state have, so far, behaved well. "I think Connecticut's been blessed," she said.
The Miss America Pageant airs Monday at 8 p.m. on CMT.
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Copyright (c) 2007, Connecticut Post, Bridgeport
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