Exotic Swimsuit Models

The Original Exotic Swimsuit Models

In only forty years, standards of beauty have changed radically. A woman who was found sexy in the 1960s would be considered a little out of shape by a lot of men and women today. However, considering the health ramifications of being too thin, these standards may be ripe for yet another change. The main difference in a 1960's body vs. today is that nobody worked out as much! Models were healthy, but not as fanatically toned.

While not everyone has seen the original 1964 Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover featuring model Babette March in a white bikini (which would be considered downright frumpy by today's standards), it really illustrates the fashion gap between then and now. People young and old follow fashion so closely that they'd know the difference between this year's bikini from last year's!

When model/actress Ursula Andress emerged from the sea in the first James Bond film Dr. No wearing a white bikini and a knife strapped around her waist, she stopped hearts around the world. Bikinis had been available since 1946, but it wasn’t until Dr. No and Sports Illustrated that they became widely accepted as legitimate pool and beach wear for a range of women.

Famous Exotic Swimsuit Models

Sports Illustrated has featured some of the most famous models ever both on the covers and inside its swimsuit issues. Super model Elle Macpherson has appeared on the cover a record five times. Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks, Christie Brinkley and Kathy Ireland have all lent their fabulous faces and physiques to the pages. It’s almost impossible to be a top model and not don a swimsuit for Sports Illustrated at some point in your career.

The More Things Change...

With sexy bikinis and minimal coverage swim wear growing in popularity, it’s no wonder that pictures hocking swimsuits excite as much controversy as they do enthusiasm. However, the fuss made over skimpy swim wear is nothing new.

There were many who thought the bikini spelled the end of civilization – probably a good thing many of those same folks didn’t live to see string bikinis! One-piece swimsuits haven’t been left out of the fray either.

Super model Cheryl Tiegs sported a white one-piece fishnet suit in the 1978 Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition that, though hugely sought after by collectors today, at the time resulted in three hundred and forty readers canceling their subscriptions. The suit was opaque when dry, but Tiegs did a test swim and the results were memorable.

SI's 2008 cover model Marisa Miller doesn’t leave much to the imagination; that, by most estimations, would all but guarantee an interesting set of tan lines. Although Sports Illustrated does try to err on the side of class, it’s a good bet that the swimsuit issue doesn’t stay on anyone’s coffee table for long!

More Memorable Models

The biggest seller of all the Sports Illustrated swimsuit editions was the 25th anniversary issue with exotic swimsuit model (although she also modeled clothing, makeup and made some films) Kathy Ireland on the cover. Ireland looks sexy, yet comparatively sporty and even wholesome in a strapless yellow bikini. She seems to have just popped up for a rest from a hard swim and yet is ready to dive back in again.

Czech model Paulina Porizkova appeared on consecutive covers in 1984 and 1985. On her 1984 cover, she wore a one-piece that was so low-cut it would've had to have been glued in place if she tried to swim in it. On the other hand, her 1985 suit featured her in a basic blue bikini that shows the classic two-piece really hasn’t changed all that much in the last 20 years.

The Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue is still greeted with much fanfare. Whether or not it spikes sales in the given swimsuits, only retailers can say, but clearly, plenty of people are still happy to look through pages of exotic swimsuit models.