Winner Premium by Raquel Welch
Winner Premium by Raquel Welch
The best-selling pixie. Only better. That is Winner Premium by Raquel Welch in five words — and it is both the most honest and the most complete description available for this style. The same barely waved, razor-tapered, shake-and-go pixie that has made the Winner family one of the most re-purchased short styles in the Raquel Welch Signature Collection for over twenty years. Now upgraded with the two construction features that Winner Classic buyers most consistently want when they decide they want more: a Sheer Indulgence™ extended lace front for a naturally convincing hairline, and a monofilament crown for natural scalp simulation at the top of the style. At 2.1 oz on a Memory Cap® II that molds to the head, Winner Premium is the mid-tier upgrade that delivers the most visible natural-appearance improvements at the most practical price point between Classic and Elite. "The Winner once again didn't disappoint. This time I treated myself to the lace front version and it is all I hoped for in a wig. I have MANY of the Winner style — Love the Iced Granita. Easy to care for and beyond belief in rain and wind." That is Winner Premium from the buyer who knows exactly what she is comparing it to. The most-loved lightweight pixie. Only better.
Part of Raquel Welch's Signature Collection, Winner Premium occupies the mid-tier position in the Winner family — above Winner Classic (capless, no lace front, no monofilament) and below Winner Elite (100% hand-tied throughout, deeper lace front, full monofilament top, silicone at three points). In this complete guide we cover everything: what the extended lace front and monofilament crown specifically add, the important distinction between a monofilament crown and a full monofilament top, how Winner Premium positions within the family, the shake-and-go styling technique, the color range, and who Winner Premium was made for.
What Is Winner Premium by Raquel Welch?
Winner Premium by Raquel Welch is the upgraded version of the best-selling Winner pixie, featuring a monofilament crown for added comfort and a Sheer Indulgence™ lace front for a natural-looking hairline. The official Raquel Welch tagline captures it well: "It's our most-loved lightweight pixie — only better." Reviewers consistently describe it as a step up for this favorite shake-and-go short cut.
Every phrase is specific. "Upgraded version of their best-seller" — the Winner's beloved pixie silhouette is unchanged; the construction is what improves. "New features that include a monofilament crown and Sheer Indulgence lace front" — two targeted, visible natural-appearance improvements to the construction that most buyers notice first. "Most-loved lightweight pixie — only better" — the identity remains the same; the execution gets more premium. "A step up" — Winner Premium is positioned precisely as one step above Classic, not a replacement for Elite. The description is honest, precise, and entirely accurate to what Winner Premium delivers.
The Winner Family: Understanding Where Premium Belongs
Three Versions, One Beloved Pixie
The Winner family is the clearest example in this Raquel Welch series of a single beloved silhouette available across multiple construction tiers for different buyer needs and budgets. Understanding the family makes choosing the right version straightforward:
Winner Classic (Average, Petite, Large): Capless Memory Cap® II. No lace front. No monofilament. The original best-seller — the same razor-tapered barely waved pixie in the most breathable, most accessible construction at the most accessible price. Shake-and-go from a basic open cap.
Winner Premium (Average): Memory Cap® II + Sheer Indulgence™ Extended Lace Front + Monofilament Crown. The mid-tier — the two most visible natural-appearance construction upgrades added to the Winner's beloved silhouette at the most practical premium price point. Shake-and-go with a natural-looking hairline and monofilament crown scalp simulation.
Winner Elite (Average): Memory Cap® II + 100% hand-tied base throughout + 100% hand-tied monofilament top + Sheer Indulgence™ 1.5" deep lace front + non-slip silicone at front, crown, and nape. The most complete premium construction — every strand individually knotted, the deepest lace front, full crown monofilament with multi-directional parting, and triple-point silicone security. Shake-and-go with the most natural-appearing, most comprehensively constructed short pixie in the Signature Collection.
Why Winner Premium Is the Right Choice for Most Upgraders
For Winner Classic buyers who have decided they want more, Winner Premium is the most efficient upgrade path — delivering the two construction features that generate the most visible natural-appearance improvement (lace front hairline simulation and monofilament crown scalp simulation) at the most accessible price above Classic. The majority of Winner Classic buyers who upgrade do so for one specific reason: they want a more natural-looking hairline. The extended lace front delivers this. The monofilament crown adds the complementary crown scalp simulation that makes the style look natural at both the hairline and the crown simultaneously. Together these two features resolve the specific natural-appearance limitations of the Classic construction at a price that is meaningfully below the Elite.
The Sheer Indulgence™ Extended Lace Front: What It Adds
What "Extended" Means
Winner Premium features a confirmed Extended Lace Front — not a narrow lace strip but a full extended construction spanning the front perimeter. The Sheer Indulgence™ lace uses ultra-fine, transparent material into which individual hairs are hand-sewn at varied angles and densities — creating the natural-looking, skin-blending hairline that makes the winner pixie look like it is genuinely growing from the scalp rather than beginning at an artificial constructed boundary.
For a short pixie where the wispy bang is at 2.75" front length — continuously near the face throughout the day — the hairline is the most prominently visible construction element of the entire style. It is what people see first at conversational distance. It is what appears in every photo. It is what separates Winner Classic's capable basic construction from Winner Premium's genuinely convincing natural appearance at the point that matters most. The extended lace front is the single most visible improvement Winner Premium makes over Winner Classic — and for most buyers, it is the specific reason they upgrade.
Off-the-Face Styling Freedom
The extended lace front provides the off-the-face styling versatility that a basic capless hairline cannot. The wispy bang can be swept back, pushed behind an ear, or worn in any position without revealing an artificial cap edge. For a pixie style where the front layers and wispy bang are the primary face-framing and styling elements, this off-the-face freedom expands the practical styling range of Winner Premium beyond what Classic's standard hairline allows.
The Monofilament Crown: The Second Visible Improvement
What the Monofilament Crown Creates
Winner Premium features a monofilament crown — natural scalp simulation at the crown area of the style where the barely waved layers originate. The monofilament mesh at the crown has individually knotted fibers that create the appearance of hair growing from a real scalp at the top of the style. For a pixie at 4.25" crown length — where the crown is the highest and most visible point of the style from above and from across a room — the monofilament crown creates the natural-looking scalp appearance at exactly the point where it makes the most visual impact.
The Critical Distinction: Monofilament Crown vs. Monofilament Top
Winner Premium has a monofilament crown — not a full monofilament top. This is the most important construction distinction to understand clearly before purchasing Winner Premium:
A monofilament crown provides natural scalp simulation at the crown area specifically. The scalp-simulation zone is concentrated at the crown rather than extending throughout the full top of the cap. Parting flexibility exists at the crown area.
A full monofilament top (as in Winner Elite) covers the complete top of the cap with individually knotted fibers, providing natural scalp simulation throughout the entire crown zone with complete multi-directional parting freedom anywhere across the full top.
For wearers who specifically require full multi-directional parting across the entire crown in every position, Winner Elite's 100% hand-tied monofilament top is the appropriate choice. For wearers who want natural-looking crown scalp simulation at the most prominent point of a short pixie — which is the crown area specifically — Winner Premium's monofilament crown delivers this at the mid-tier price point efficiently.
The Shake-and-Go Styling Technique: Unchanged From Classic
Winner Premium's styling simplicity is identical to Winner Classic — because the silhouette, fiber, and basic cap structure are the same. The confirmed technique applies fully: "With a firm shake right out of the box, this short boy cut is as easy to style as it is comfortable to wear!" One firm shake holds the wig at the nape and shakes it deliberately — the barely waved, razor-tapered layers settle into their natural positions, the wispy bang falls forward, the crown layers lift slightly with the Memory Cap® II's conformed fit. Finger-style as preferred. Optional styling gel on the barely waved layers creates a more defined, slightly spikier presentation from the same pre-set base. Done.
The lace front and monofilament crown do not change the styling routine — they improve the result of that routine by making the hairline and crown more naturally convincing than the Classic's construction allows. Same shake. Same ease. Better appearance.
Winner Premium by Raquel Welch: Full Specifications
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Raquel Welch |
| Collection | Signature Collection |
| Fiber | Kanekalon Vibralite® Synthetic (not heat-styleable) |
| Cap Construction | Memory Cap® II Base + Sheer Indulgence™ Extended Lace Front + Monofilament Crown |
| Cap Size | Average |
| Front / Bang | 2.75" (wispy bang) |
| Crown | 4.25" |
| Sides | 2.25" |
| Back | 2.25" |
| Nape | 1.75" |
| Weight | 2.1 oz (~58g) |
| Density | High Density |
| Style | Short Pixie — barely waved, razor-tapered, wispy bang, tapered neckline |
| Monofilament Type | Monofilament Crown — NOT a full monofilament top |
| Styling | Firm shake + finger-style — ready to wear immediately |
| Color Shown | SS12/22 Shaded Cappuccino |
| Heat Styling | Not recommended — Vibralite® fiber only |
Want to see how Winner Premium by Raquel Welch looks on you before you buy? Use the Face Shape Analyzer to find your most flattering styles — then preview it on your own photo with the MyHairMagic virtual try-on app. The only premium wig and topper try-on app of its kind.
Vibralite® Fiber: The Styling Reality for Winner Premium
Pre-Set, Ready-to-Wear, Not Heat-Styleable
Winner Premium uses Kanekalon Vibralite® synthetic fiber — and the care note that applies to every Vibralite® style in this series applies here: do not use heat tools. Flat irons, curling irons, and blow dryers permanently damage Vibralite® fiber. As buyers consistently note: do not use heat to style synthetic fiber. The barely waved, razor-tapered pixie character is the pre-set and the complete styling range — enhanced only by styling gel for a more defined presentation, or reduced by finger-smoothing for a sleeker one. Both modes require nothing beyond hands and optional product. No heat.
Rain, Wind, and All-Weather Performance
One multi-year Winner buyer makes a specific and underappreciated point about Winner Premium's weather performance: the style holds up beyond belief in rain and wind, looking great after being outside in all kinds of conditions. This is a practical and important benefit of the Vibralite® pre-set at short pixie length: the barely waved, closely cropped character holds its shape through conditions that would flatten or frizz longer styles with more fiber surface area. At 2.75"–4.25" of length, the pre-set is robust against weather in a way that longer styles are not. Winner Premium's shake-and-go character extends to shake-and-continue in whatever conditions the day presents.
Winner Premium's Color Range
Winner Premium is available in the same comprehensive color range as Winner Classic and Winner Elite — spanning the full R-series, S+ glazed blends, SS Shadow Shade rooted options, and specialty gray gradient shades. The featured color is SS12/22 Shaded Cappuccino — Light Golden Brown evenly blended with Cool Platinum Blonde Highlights and Dark Roots. Confirmed community colors include R51/61 Iced Granita (cited by long-term buyers as a Winner Premium favorite), R14/88H Golden Wheat, and R13F25 Praline Foil.
The SS Shadow Shade colors are particularly effective in Winner Premium's monofilament crown construction: the darker root depth sits naturally at the crown's scalp simulation zone, creating the convincing dimensional color depth of professionally colored hair at the most examined point of the style. The SS color's root-to-length gradient plays out from the monofilament crown through the razor-tapered barely waved layers with the natural-looking variation that makes SS colors the most consistently photographed across the Winner family community.
The gray gradient range — R51/61 Iced Granita, R38 Smoked Walnut, R119G Gradient Smoke — is particularly beautiful in Winner Premium's monofilament crown construction. The progressive gray gradient displays from the crown outward through the short razor-tapered layers with the specifically non-uniform quality of naturally graying hair — lighter and grayer where the monofilament crown shows the root zone, transitioning through the short layers to the tapered ends in the organic color variation that makes gradient gray styles look genuinely natural.
Who Is Winner Premium by Raquel Welch Made For?
The Winner Classic Upgrader
The most directly identified Winner Premium buyer is the multi-year Winner Classic wearer who has decided it is time to experience the lace front. One reviewer who owns many Winner styles describes upgrading to the lace front version as "all I hoped for in a wig" — and this is not an atypical response. It is the consistently confirmed experience of long-term Winner buyers who have wanted better hairline construction for years and find that Winner Premium delivers exactly the improvement they were looking for without disrupting any of the shake-and-go ease they depend on. For this buyer, Winner Premium is the natural, inevitable next purchase.
The First-Time Lace Front Buyer in a Short Pixie
For wearers who are new to lace front construction and want to experience it in the most accessible, most manageable, most shake-and-go short style available — Winner Premium is a specifically excellent entry point. The lace front's natural-appearing quality is immediately visible and immediately satisfying in a short pixie where the hairline is the most prominent construction element. And the shake-and-go ease means there is nothing to learn, nothing to manage, and nothing complicated about the transition from non-lace-front experience to lace front experience. The construction improvement is immediate; the added complexity is zero.
The Natural-Appearance Mid-Tier Priority Buyer
For wearers who want the Winner's proven pixie silhouette with a natural-looking hairline and monofilament crown — without the full price premium of the Elite's 100% hand-tied construction — Winner Premium delivers the most visible natural-appearance improvements at the most practical price. The extended lace front and monofilament crown together resolve the two most common natural-appearance limitations of Winner Classic. For buyers who specifically want these two features and do not specifically require the Elite's full hand-tied construction throughout, Winner Premium is the most practical and the most efficient upgrade path.
The All-Weather Active Pixie Wearer
The confirmed all-weather performance of Winner Premium — holding up beyond belief in rain and wind — makes it specifically practical for active daily wearers who need a short style that holds its character through real outdoor conditions. The Vibralite® pre-set at short pixie length, combined with the Memory Cap® II's conforming security, creates a style that performs consistently whether the day is controlled or chaotic. For wearers who find longer styles or more delicate constructions impractical for their active lifestyle, Winner Premium's weather-resistant, shake-and-go character is a specifically practical recommendation.
The Medical Wig Wearer
For women managing hair loss who want a short, lightweight pixie with a natural-looking lace front hairline and monofilament crown scalp simulation, Winner Premium delivers both at 2.1 oz on a Memory Cap® II that conforms gently to sensitive scalps. The lace front's natural-appearing hairline and the monofilament crown's scalp simulation at the top of the style are the specific construction features that most directly address the natural-appearance needs of medical wig wearers in a short pixie context. Winner Premium provides both without the full hand-tied construction investment of the Elite — a practical and well-calibrated choice for medical wig buyers who want effective natural-appearance features at an accessible mid-tier price.
Winner Premium vs. Winner Classic vs. Winner Elite: The Direct Comparison
| Feature | Classic | Premium | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lace Front | No | Sheer Indulgence™ Extended | Sheer Indulgence™ 1.5" Deep |
| Monofilament | No | Monofilament Crown | 100% Hand-Tied Monofilament Top |
| Base Construction | Capless open wefted | Memory Cap® II wefted | 100% hand-tied throughout |
| Silicone | No | No | Front, crown, and nape |
| Weight | 1.75 oz | 2.1 oz | 1.5 oz |
| Cap Sizes | Petite, Average, Large | Average only | Average only |
| Price Tier | Accessible | Mid-tier | Premium |
The comparison makes the choice clear: Winner Classic for the most accessible option at maximum breathability; Winner Premium for the most visible natural-appearance features at the mid-tier price; Winner Elite for the most complete premium construction at the highest investment.
Care and Maintenance for Winner Premium by Raquel Welch
The Three Rules for Vibralite® at This Length
- No heat tools ever — flat irons, curling irons, and blow dryers permanently damage Vibralite® fiber without exception
- Fingers only for styling — never brush; the shake-and-go technique plus optional fingers or gel is the complete styling approach
- Never brush or comb while wet — always wait until completely dry; the Memory Cap® II's stretch construction is more vulnerable when wet
Washing
- Frequency: Every 8–12 wears using a gentle synthetic wig shampoo in cool water
- Method: Allow water to flow in the direction of the fibers — never rub, scrub, or agitate; be gentle at the lace front and monofilament crown areas; rinse thoroughly
- Drying: Dab gently with a towel — never wring; air dry on an open wig stand only; do not brush or comb while wet
Styling After Washing
- Shake firmly once dry to settle the layers naturally
- Finger-style as preferred; optional styling gel on the barely waved layers for a more defined presentation
- The lace front and monofilament crown restore naturally as the style dries and is shaken into position
Frequently Asked Questions About Winner Premium
What specifically makes Winner Premium better than Winner Classic?
Two construction features: a Sheer Indulgence™ Extended Lace Front that creates a more natural-appearing hairline, and a Monofilament Crown that creates natural scalp simulation at the top of the style. The silhouette, fiber, and shake-and-go styling are identical. The natural-appearance construction is meaningfully improved at both the hairline and the crown.
What is the difference between a monofilament crown and a monofilament top?
A monofilament crown provides natural scalp simulation concentrated at the crown area specifically. A full monofilament top (as in Winner Elite) covers the complete top of the cap with individually knotted fibers throughout, providing complete multi-directional parting flexibility everywhere across the full crown. Winner Premium has a monofilament crown. For full monofilament top construction, Winner Elite is the appropriate choice.
Is Winner Premium heat friendly?
No. Kanekalon Vibralite® fiber is not heat-styleable. Heat permanently damages the fiber. The shake-and-go pixie character is the complete styling method — no heat tools needed or appropriate.
Is Winner Premium available in other cap sizes?
Average only. Winner Classic is available in Petite, Average, and Large. For Petite or Large cap sizes in the Winner pixie silhouette, Winner Classic is the appropriate version. For Average cap with lace front and monofilament, Winner Premium is correct.
Is Winner Premium suitable for women with hair loss?
Yes. The Sheer Indulgence™ extended lace front creates a natural-looking hairline. The monofilament crown provides crown scalp simulation. The Memory Cap® II conforms gently at 2.1 oz. Winner Premium is a practical and effective mid-tier medical wig option in the short pixie category for wearers who want natural-appearance construction at an accessible premium price.
The Final Verdict: Is Winner Premium by Raquel Welch Worth It?
Winner Premium by Raquel Welch is worth it for exactly the buyer it was designed for — the Winner Classic devotee who has decided that more is available and wants to experience it without disrupting any of the shake-and-go ease that made the Classic their go-to in the first place. The Sheer Indulgence™ extended lace front makes the hairline more convincingly natural at every conversational distance and in every viewing angle. The monofilament crown makes the top of the style look like a real scalp at the most prominent and most examined point of a short pixie. The Memory Cap® II molds and holds at 2.1 oz. The shake-and-go remains. The performance in rain and wind remains. The barely waved, razor-tapered, wispy bang pixie remains. What changes is the quality of the first impression — and the quality of every impression after that.
The most-loved lightweight pixie. Only better.
Shop Winner Premium by Raquel Welch at MyHairMail.com — with factory-direct pricing, real-time inventory via Ask Angela℠, and fast shipping on every order.
Also available: Winner Classic (Petite, Average, Large) · Winner Elite (100% hand-tied, Average). Explore the full Raquel Welch Signature Collection at MyHairMail.com.
