Eye Candy of the Month : The Glamour Girl Edition
Cougar Champion
Katja Vinovich
The Glamour Girls Contests Cougar category is always the toughest. It’s our most entered age group, accounting for half of all entries. So to be named the Cougar Champion is a true test amongst so many gorgeous contestants. This year’s Cougar Champion is just that. Gorgeous!! Katja Vinovich showed her fellow Cougars she was in it to win it from day 1, and here she is, your Cougar Champ. Let’s sit down with her to tell her the good news and ask her some Eye Candy questions.
Hi Katja. Congratulations on being named this year’s Cougar Champion. How does it feel to be the winner?
Wow, I’m not really sure what to say. I am incredibly flattered and this truly is totally unexpected. There were so many beautiful girls out there, especially my fellow cougars, many of whom I’ve met personally, and I am so blessed to be in their company. All the photos were simply intoxicating and I really didn’t expect to become the Cougar Champion. I am honored. My lifestyle and sadly secretive nature of this part of my life doesn’t lend itself to a lot of validation and to have received so much love from the judges and everyone out there is truly, truly overwhelming. Thank you so much!
At the same time, I do feel such a weight of seriousness. Based on my situation I know there are likely many beautiful girls out there who are unable or uncomfortable to participate in a contest like this, much as I would have been several years ago. Knowing that I could travel from that place of fear a few years back to being selected by the judges and my friends, fills me with hope. I simply pray we can get to a point where we can all share that same love and validation with one another.
Tell us how you go about choosing your outfits and how you choose what photos to submit.
I like to look at my outfits as if they are for events or what I might do in them. For me, most always, I go for looks that scream going out, date night, club, or cocktail party. On those times when I get to dress in public, that is usually what I am able to do so that is what my wardrobe consists of. Fortunately, I feel that look lends to the most glamour, especially with the right jewelry and slightly overstated eye makeup and contouring.
I look for outfits and colors that flatter my strong points. We all have those things we can’t wear no matter how much we may want to. I’ve found that black and red work best for me. With my broader shoulders, I find my shape gets lost if I try anything billowing or loose fitting like bohemian styles or shift dresses so I tend to stay with tighter fitting dresses or crop tops. I also try to take into account whether I’ll wear a plate, forms, or padding as well as the seams on my foundation garments fall and look to camouflage those as much as possible with.
As to which photos to select, I picked a handful that had a sense of glamour about them to my eye. After that I went through and did away with any that were a bit too *ahem* racy, then made sure I had some different looks or feelings in each one to give a full sense of my personality. I wanted a glamour, fun girl next door, and then just a hint of danger. I think I was able to get that in all three.
Let’s get to our Eye Candy questions. Let’s start by letting everyone know where you are from?
Originally I’m from Texas, but my mom and I moved to California when I was in my teens. I have fond memories from there and hope to move back someday. I’ve been back to visit my dad from time to time and keep in touch with both locations still. Right now I live in Northern California near Yreka.
When did you first start dressing and how did it come about?
Seriously not until about 10 years ago. I used to do it starting in my late teens after we moved to California. I was always drawn, I guess, but I didn’t have much chance until I was home alone more and started to experiment. Even then it was only infrequently. Now I am drawn to the art of the transformation and love experimenting with makeup creating the illusion of glamour. There is something about the mystery of it that I find intoxicating. I started dressing more those ten years ago and it was still infrequent, until I took the gamble and visited a transformation service in Washington. I went out on my first shopping trip and my first dining out experience. What a rush. After that I quickly attended my first (and only) Wildside about 5 years ago. I was hooked. While my shopping experience was sedate clothing and somewhat “momish” Wildside was all about Vegas nights and cute curvy clothing. I remember being dressed on the roof of the Rio in the Voodoo lounge and sharing time with other girls and it was just such a wonderful experience. From then I worked to perfect my craft.
How did you come up with your Femme name?
Genetically, my family background is from the Ukraine, though so far back I can’t remember. I’ve always loved the Eastern European accent. I can remember a hint of it showing every now and then in my grandparents. The Vinovich name actually came from an old family friend of my parents from Texas as I just loved the way it rolls off the tongue. Katja (pronounced Kot – ee – yuh) just came to me. When said quickly, it also comes off as, “caught ya” which I thought had a nice tongue in cheek sound to it.
How often do you dress?
Not often enough. I bet most of us say that all the time. I am not full time at all and only get rare opportunities to let Katja out to play. At this time I only have an opportunity maybe once every month or two, but someday perhaps more often. Though, right now with the COVID issue, it has been even less often.
Are you married/in a relationship? If yes, are you able to share your female self with your partner?
I am currently in a relationship with a woman I’ve been living with for several years, though we aren’t married in the formal sense. I have kept Katja secret as I was burned pretty badly by sharing the last time. I was married for about ten years and tried to share Katja with my wife of the time, but that ended quite poorly. As a result, she’s kind of gone into hiding in my relationships. It isn’t optimal but I prefer not to take the risk due to the way things worked out last time. It was hard to recover from. Those who know me from online know that I am very private and am very protective of my privacy. It’s a fallout from that I guess.
What are some of your favorite outfits/fashions?
I like to look at my outfits as if they are for events or what I might do in them. For me, most always, I go for looks that scream going out, date night, club, or cocktail party. On those times when I get to dress in public, that is usually what I am able to do so that is what my wardrobe consists of. Fortunately, I feel that look lends to the most glamour, especially with the right jewelry and slightly overstated eye makeup and contouring. When I first started dressing more regularly and going for full transformations, I tried collecting more “passable” daytime clothes, but I found I was never able to wear them because I almost never go shopping or out to Walmart when dressing. Now all my outfits are about classy sexy going out on the town.
Stockings or pantyhose?
It depends on the outfit I guess. I prefer stockings for the mysterious femme fatale aesthetic, but sometime it just doesn’t work with outfits. Honestly I like a nice bare leg look more, except of course when a sheer black nylon just completes the outfit.
Heels or flats?
Heels of course! Just look at my pictures. I don’t think I own any flats. It’s, I’m sure, a result of my limited opportunities to dress. If I was full time my feet may scream for me to wear something practical, but not as I live my life now. I want to enjoy my time in heels (4” at least) when I do get the opportunity. There is something about the strut and the clickety clack of heels on concrete that I just love. It is part of the reason why I enjoy going out to clubs so much when I get the chance. Walking to and from with the sound of my heels on the sidewalk and the cool coastal breeze on my legs is just so exhilarating for me.
Favorite places to go when dressed?
To clubs where I can dance and hang out with other girls and share our stories. It doesn’t happen that often but I take any chance I can get. I’ve been to HM and some clubs in Northern California. As I mentioned above, my favorite time was my trip to Viva Wildside and all the clubs we attended there. I would encourage every girl who can to go once the world opens back up.
Go to accessories for a night out.
A purse with my lipstick. I tend to lick it off quickly and I love a full lip so I’m constantly reapplying. That and some extra cash to get me home if I get lost.
Who is/are your female role model(s) and why?
It would have to be my mom for staying so strong after dad and her split up and she moved us out of state. Her strength and love was always a big thing for me. For someone else, if I had to pick someone, I would say that it is perhaps the lovely Heidi Phox herself. Though we’ve never met, her videos and postings inspired me to step out. I am just impressed with her bravery at putting it out there and the way she is able to make her relationship work. Well look at that, I guess I do have a female role model.
Tell us some fun facts about yourself. What are your hobbies (either when dressed or not), likes, things you do in your spare time, or anything else you would like to share?
I do draw quite a bit, which is probably where my love of the artistry of makeup comes from. Beyond that, I have hiked several mountains in Norcal and Oregon and along the Oregon coast. I’ve been up Mt Shasta and have visited several of the volcanic peaks in Oregon. I guess I’m kind of an outdoorsy girl in that regard. I do hate camping though. Let me sleep in a bed and shower after all that hard work for sure.
Any stories you would like to share about yourself and your journey?
I remember almost being caught by my sister when I was about 14. I had stayed home pretending to be sick in order to dress. Well, she and her friend decided to ditch school and come home early. Mom was at work and I was home alone when they walked in. It was a quick hide and dress down. I pulled it off, but had I been a few minutes earlier I would have been trapped in the kitchen with nowhere to go lol. That experience spooked me quite a bit and maybe caused me to continue to be so secretive over all these years. Perhaps it would have been better if I had been caught.
If you have social media, what is the best way for others to follow you?
I’m hit and miss online, but when I’m on social media, it is almost exclusively Facebook.
Let’s go back to the contest for a minute. What advice would you give girls entering the contest next year?
Smile! First and foremost, smile with confidence. Let everyone see your joy, not nervousness or hesitation. Glamour isn’t just your makeup or the outfits you wear. It’s an overall persona that creates the sense of “Wow, I want to be there.” It is a manifestation of inner beauty, outer beauty, personality, and your emotions. I see so many beautiful girls in photos just rocking a gorgeous outfit who have a look about them as if they just accidently dropped their ice cream cone in the dirt.
I’ve told some beautiful friends online to smile more to which many have told me they don’t like their smile. I used to hate my smile as well. It’s crooked on one side, half my lower lip is thinner than the other, and I have a slightly wonky tooth or two. Over time, so many people told me how disarming and full of joy my smile was that I’ve grown to love it. Now I can see the happiness in it. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do see the glamour of a fierce look, but even with your own personal “Blue Steel,” it is the overall sense of confidence and positive emotion comes through to make it look glamorous and not like anger or a scowl.
Next, practice, practice, practice your poses. The awkward feeling of “I don’t know how to stand or what to do with my hand,” used to cause me to fall into a clunky masculine look. I’d look at pictures and they just wouldn’t feel feminine or glamourous. There are plenty of resources online to give suggestions on how to pose, but I received the most benefit from looking at pictures in clothing mailers and online retailers. Look at those pictures to see what makes them glamorous and feminine. It’s so often the little things; a flick the way a wrist or the fingers are held, the hand position on the waist, a hip kicked out, or an overall angling and lack of “square and stiff” to your posture. It can be a lot to take in for the first time you take photos but over time it gets easier. You can start by taking several shots with one pose and some slight changes to it in each successive frame, then move on to the next, and so on.
And that’s the next big piece… take lots and lots of pictures. There are always gems in there. I end up liking less than a quarter of the pictures I take. Get a good camera with a timer on a stand and place a full length mirror behind the camera. Just make sure to look at the camera for the shot, not the mirror.
Any final words for our readers and judges?
You mean aside from “Thanks you thank you,” “Omigosh I still can’t believe this,” and “Wow!”? Seriously though, thank you again. I am honored and overwhelmed. This contest and everyone in it, fellow girls, readers, and judges, are about choosing to meet other people where they are and to seek that understanding and acceptance. I’d say if we could all take the love and willingness to be open that we have here, and choose to apply it to other aspects of our lives, we could do a better job of seeing others as people instead of obstacles. Then maybe we all get to meet back here in a happier 2021 and I can pass the tiara off to one of you other fabulously glamorous ladies out there.
I do get a tiara right?
If you would like to send a message to your fellow girls out there or a closing statement. I will add that we live in some crazy times and I have no idea what everyone is going through right now or where the world finds you, fellow girls, readers, and haters alike. I know my situation and time for Katja to express herself has changed dramatically and may stay that way for some time. Many of you are likely experiencing the same in the least and far greater challenges in the most. To that I remember the words of a 20th century philosopher who said everything can be taken from us, except our ability to choose our attitude to any given circumstance; to choose our way. We always have a choice, no matter how dire or challenging our circumstances. We are faced with a terribly divisive world and so much of the internet on both sides of issues are about their own position, winning, and not wanting in the least to understand others. What a great statement to close this out. Thanks so much for opening up about everything Katja. Congratulations again on being this year’s Cougar Champion!
For all our winners Eye Candy features, head to our blog. While you’re there, check out winners from contests past. Stay tuned as our Sexy Legs Contest will be here before you know it!
Tell us who some of your favorite Eye Candy Girls are. Who are your favorite Glamour Girl Contestants? Would you like to be considered for our Eye Candy feature and share your story with our readers? Let us know by messaging us on our Facebook page or by emailing us at [email protected].