Hi everyone, I’m Julie Ann, the gal you see in the pictures on the Cats Like Us website and on the postcards in the red dress. I never intended to be the model for Cats Like Us. Afterall, I’ve never modeled as you can probably tell. People have told me I’m very photogenic and back when I was 15 years old JCPenney approached my mom and they wanted to know if I would model for their catalog. My mom asked me if I was interested and I said “no”. I guess if I had said “yes” my life would be different, or would it? I still have a modeling gig, but instead of working for a corporate company, I’m working for my OWNcompany, which is a thousand times cooler.
Initially when we put together the Cats Like Us website we were just going to photograph the clothes on mannequins. We took a couple shots with a photographer and customers seemed to like those better, so we decided to go with it. Let’s photograph clothes on people. This works the best with items that are not T shirts because everyone knows the shape of a T shirt is the same for the most part.
You may not realize it but Cats Like Us is a very small company, and can’t afford to have all our products professionally shot (YET!). Between scheduling the photographers, paying them, making the photographs consistent and having our weekly deadlines (we post new products EVERY Thursday) it would just be too much, so we decided to do everything ourselves. So I became the model and Andrew, my husband, the photographer.
I’m not big on attention… sure I tap dance in my spare time, but when recital time comes around I’ve been practicing the routine for nearly nine months. I’m not comfortable when the spotlight is on me, I‘m more of a “blend into the background” observer. However for Cats Like Us I had to step up as part owner and really be the face of my business.
I think the funniest part about modeling is what people say when they recognize me. Many people don’t know it’s me at all, and will say, “Who’s the girl that models for you?” On more than one occasion I’ve had male customers come up to me in the shop and say, “Wow, you’re a lot smaller in real life.” I’m not really sure how to take it, but I usually say a reluctant and sincere “thanks.” I’m just giddy that they look at the website.
I’ll put this out there… my measurements are 34-26-37 and I’m 5”6’. Some of you might say I’m fat, some might say I’m skinny. [Andrew’s Note: Some, like me, would call it “perfect”!] I’m a little pear shaped. I’m not a perfect hourglass and I can’t do much about it unless I have my hips removed or get breast implants. I really don’t want to do that. I haven’t had any “work done” and I don’t plan on it. I’m a real person. I’m not famous and I don’t claim to be a pinup. Although I wish the viewers of pinup photos would appreciate big butts more. Don’t get me wrong breasts have their place too. Many pinup models have big boobs, whether they are real or not they fill out their clothes and look amazing. Many of them are very petite—something you would never know from their photos. They always look perfect, and for this I am jealous.
The best part of modeling the clothes is the female customers that know me. They love the website and are thrilled that an everyday person is modeling. I was really hoping the magic of airbrushing or photoshop could be used to touch up my flaws. But with the time constraints, we don’t edit photos that much except for cropping and color. Andrew always says I look great, but I think he’s biased. So yep, the photos are really me flaws and all. As a result, I will proudly continue to model on behalf of the gals out there that want to see the clothes on an everyday person, photos unretouched and candid. Thank you ladies for giving me a touch of confidence to be in front of a camera. To all the everyday women out there…you are beautiful!
Your shy model friend,
Julie Ann