Monday, March 01, 2010

Gloria Swanson Frock Competition

This month I have decided to run a competition. This dress - designed by Gloria Swanson for her "Forever Young" label is the prize. It still has the original tag and so presumably has never been worn. Very stylish with a lovely bow detail on the shoulder. I think it is about a size 14 UK / 10 USA / 40 European (I shall put exact measurements up when I remember to get my tape measure out).

Gloria was a health nut and often took her own soup in a thermos flask if she was invited out to eat. In the daytime she often carried a particular fruit in her handbag in case she got peckish. My competition question is - which fruit was it?! You can enter as many times as you wish - just put your guesses in the comments. In the event of more than one person guessing correctly I will pull a name out of a hat - a leopard print trimmed turban naturally!

The competition is open to everyone - wherever you are in the world - and if it isn't your size, why not enter anyhow and if you win you can charm a girlfriend with it as a gift! Who wouldn't want to own a little piece of the glamour that is Gloria?!

Closing date for entries will be midnight UK time on the 31st March.

If you are not sure how to post a comment - email your guess to me at silverscreensuppers@yahoo.co.uk x

37 comments:

Moya said...

You know, I once owned one of those very same dresses--identical to the one you posted. I thrifted it in Madison, WI and had no idea it was a Gloria Swanson dress! Alas, the fabric was perishing--it had been well loved before I got it.

My closet is overflowing but I will play for the fun of it. My random guess is a grapefruit.

Lya de Putti said...

I just KNEW you would be the first person to enter! Good guess my dear - results will be announced 1st April!

What a weird co-incidence that you had the same frock?!

Sarah said...

I love that you are doing this competition!! I'm going to go with the non-starchy orange.

Lya de Putti said...

Good guess also! Love your blog, will have a proper peruse when I have some time. Joan Blondell is my favourite actress and that picture of her in the leopard print is beyond awesome! - x

Matthew Coniam said...

I'm going to go with a raspberry, because she only had a little tiny mouth.

Angela Coniam said...

I'm going with the good old banana. A good choice if it doesn't get squashed in the hand-bag.

Lisa said...

Is it avocados? I sure hope it is, for my sake, that dress is too cute!

Love La Swanson, love this site. :)

Lya de Putti said...

Oh what fun this is turning out to be already! Liking everyone's guesses and justifications for the same...

Imagine having one raspberry in your handbag in case you get peckish. Ha ha! Reminds me of something Joan Crawford said along a similar line but can't for the life of me remember what it was. Maybe something about if she gets hungry she eats the yolk of a hard boiled egg....

Keep the guesses coming!

claire montgomerie said...

oh, after the raspberry comment, I am so hoping it is a blaeberry or cranberry or something, but I am plumping for avocado as i think i read it somewhere once...oh it is nice to know all this useless general knowledge we pick up can sometimes be useful - especially when watching universally challenged as I am now. it makes me feel as if i am as intelligent as these young bright sparks.
hope i am right, it wont fit, but what the 'eck, I can look at it! :)

Fred Karno said...

Grapefruit? I hope that is not right, what would I do with a dress?

HilaryB said...

I think she'd have had raisins, because she believed you should only eat sugar from fruit, particularly boiled up raisins. So if she needed energy she'd probably choose to eat them. And they wouldn't go grotty in her bag.

A said...

I adore Gloria Swanson and that is such a delicious frock. I'm going to guess Grapefruit.

Nick Duffy said...

It has to be kiwi fruit, surely. About the same size as a boiled egg but more vitamin C than an orange.

Matthew Coniam said...

I'm going to change my mind and say a coconut. I forgot how sharp her teeth were.

Anonymous said...

I want that dress ! Pomegranite !

Anonymous said...

I want to say it's a pear or apple, but I look great in stripes so I won't be too devastated if I don't get the dress.

GB

Lena said...

Oh dear lord, this dress is amazing!

Let it be a grapefruit!

Missy Murphy said...

Wow - how fantastic it would be to win a frock designed by the most stylish woman in movies - ever (IMO)
I am going to say red grapes - nice and easy to have a bag of them in your handbag to pop in your mouth when feeling peckish and a great part of the Microbiotic diet she was a pioneer of.
Fingers crossed - that dress is my size!

tealily said...

It it prunes?

Smee said...

Man, I was gonna say prunes. I'll go for plums instead.

Tim Juby said...

I'd love it to be a kumkwat (I just like the sound of it) but I'm going to say avocado. I wonder if she carried a spoon around with her too?

briandenisdenis said...

Was it an avocado? I'm sure it was. If I win the frock, I'll have to paint a portrait of someone wearing it I think!

ilsaingrid said...

Is an avocado a fruit, Brian? I thought it was a vegetable.

My guess - blood oranges?

Emma said...

Was it a lychee? - Emma, (friend of Brian D) London
Good Luck everyone! x

LizDailey said...

I also think grapes. Has to be something you could eat in front of people without making a mess. Love the site. Thank you Brian Dennis for introducing me. I'll be honest I want the dress only slightly more than I want you to come visit me to deliver it.

ilsaingrid said...

Oh...my second guess is a tomato. Technically, it's a fruit!

tealily said...

Haha, I feel like having the same idea as Smee is good dress juju!! Fingers crossed...

Lya de Putti said...

OMG I am having so much fun reading all the guesses - tee hee - what fun! Keep them coming you clever old fruit fanciers!

Lya de Putti said...

An entry has come from Portugal via the email system. Gary says,

"Thought I'd try and win that dress for the missus.... is the answer pomegranite? If not, it darn well should be. They're chock full of goodness & vitamins so ol' Gloria would've loved 'em.
That's my try anyway... or ... erm... grapes?

Anonymous said...

I am going to guess a banana, as I stash one away in my bag sometimes! ;) - Michelle

Kristina said...

My guess is avocados :) I want that dress so badly!!!!!!!!

Lya de Putti said...

Great to see that guesses are still coming in - ends midnight Wednesday!

The lovely Rita got a quick guess in before heading off to South Africa - blackberry...

john d said...

Just got in my entry in time as nearly forgot. My answer is avocado!

Lya de Putti said...

Well my lovely fruit fanciers it is April 1st so the competition is closed. And we have just done the draw to select a winner. Alas, I left the Gloria Swanson turban at home so it was just done from cupped hands full of crumpled pieces of paper.

The correct answer my chums?

AVOCADO

The winner?

Mr Brian Dennis

Ladies, he promised to paint someone wearing this dress if he won it and he is the best portrait painter in the world so if I were you, I'd put your name down STAT!

I suppose gents too - I don't wish to be sexist!

Congratulations Brian. You are a genius, a king of the Boris Karloff Steak and Kidney Pie making AND a WINNER!

Brian said...

How fantastic - I can't believe I won! I may have to run a competition to choose who gets their portrait painted in it! I'm so pleased!

Brian said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lya de Putti said...

Darling RUN THAT COMPETITION - it's so much fun! Jx