ELLE MacPHERSON AND KATE UPTON AMONG SI MOST FAMOUS STARS ON THE WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACHES.

The renowned Sports Illustrated magazine faced challenges in achieving success following its inception in August 1954.  It was only about ten years later that it became profitable for its owners, thanks to a few innovations.

One of them had a significant influence in 1964 when the magazine's editor, André Laguerre, released a special edition featuring photographs of models in bikinis.

Originally published annually in February, and subsequently in May starting from 2019, this special issue has grown in significance and has become the renowned "Swimsuit Issue." It consistently achieves the highest sales and garners the most attention, whether through positive or negative comments.

It is important to note that during the mid-1960s, the wearing of bikinis was only starting to gain social acceptance. Prior to this period, particularly in Puritan-influenced America, such attire was deemed scandalous and immoral, even two decades after its invention in France in 1946 (refer to my blog «BIKINI AND POM POM GIRLS» Regarding this topic⇾ https://bikiniandpompomgirls.blogspot.com/2025/03/history-of-bikini-difficult-times-in.html).

Moreover, it is frequently asserted that the widespread popularity of Sports Illustrated's "Swimsuit Issue" significantly contributed to the acceptance of the bikini in the United States.  Subsequently, Sports Illustrated will also launch and market its own line of swimwear.

Initially, people—particularly feminists—struggled to comprehend why SI officials were sharing these photos of bikini models. They argued that such "provocative and sexist" images were inappropriate for a sports magazine or any other publication, for that matter.

The renowned fashion journalist Julie Campbell, known for her role in the contentious "Swimsuit Issue," viewed it merely as a showcase for "taller and healthier California women." Admittedly, the connection to the themes of Sports Illustrated seems rather tenuous.

Highly profitable for Sports Illustrated, generating tens of millions of dollars in advertising and sales, the special swimsuit issue no longer provokes, as it did in its early days, a substantial number of unsubscribes and negative reviews.  It has transitioned into video format and is now accessible in a digital version.

Its annual launch has become a global advertising event, and despite feminist criticism, it does not appear to be disappearing anytime soon.

The Special Edition Swimwear has celebrated its most favored figures over the past six decades. Elle MacPherson (above) holds the record with five appearances in its pages, spanning the years 1986, 1987, 1988, 1994, and 2006.

She is closely followed by Kate Upton, who has appeared in four editions (2012, 2013, 2017, and 2024).

 Five other top models claim three appearances in the pages of the famous sports magazine :

Daniela Pestova

- Christie Brinkley (1979, 1980 and 1981);

- Cheryl Tiegs (1970, 1975 and 1983);

- Kathy Ireland (1989, 1992 and 1994);

- Daniela Pestova (1995, 2000 and 2006);

- Tyra Banks (1996, 1997 and 2019).

KATE UPTON : THE ULTIMATE BEACH BABE !

The amazing and popular model Kate Upton became famous in 2011 thanks to her appearances in the SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT ISSUE.  As a matter of fact, "Sports" has illustrated all her life.  First of all, Kate, born June 10, 1992, in St.Joseph, Michigan, is the daughter of Shelley Davis, a former Texas State tennis champion, and Jeff Upton, a high school athletics director.  "Made", and raised, -after her family moved to Melbourne, Florida- by sports lovers, it was natural for Kate to like it too.  Before becoming a model at age 15, the Upton's sweet heart was a junior equestrian champion in the United States.  It's in the "Sunny State" of the south-east that this splendid blond American darling developed her special relationship with the beaches.  Because in Florida, beach is a way of life, it's where you have to be, especially if you are beautiful.

More of a tomboy when she was a child, Kate had to be patient before some female attributes made their appearance on her body.  But when they did, it was almost all at once, it was very suddenly, and, wow !, it was pretty spectacular !  Her breasts, especially, were not those of a teenager, but those of a full grown woman.  With such a curvy body, you would not have bet that Upton would be accepted by the bosses of the modeling industry.  She was not the typical overly-skinny model that is normally on magazine covers.  But, in 2008, when Kate attended a casting call in Miami for "Elite Model Management", she was signed by them the same day.  They would discover rapidly that this attractive teenager was not only different from the other young models, because she was not as thin as them, but she was also mentally different.  Not the kind of shy or docile one...

Right from the start, Upton wanted to do it her own way : «I started modeling at a young age, at 15, but before that I was doing competitive horseback riding and my mom always encouraged me to take things into my own hands.  She told me that I'm in charge of my career and in charge of my success.  I dealt with a lot of things in the horseback riding industry and I took that knowledge and put it into modeling.  I think having success in horseback riding at a young age showed me that success is possible at a young age.  A lot of agents say, "wait for your time, wait for your time", but I believe in creating your own time.  Also, because many models are so young, agents speak to them in a very intimidating way and bully them into doing things, but I'm not one to be bullied.»  Things have changed since then.  Kate learned that she can not always get what she wants : «now it's out of my hands, -it has kind of been rolling on its own-, but at the beginning I was micromanaging every little step.»

Well aware of her somewhat exceptional statute, as a "rounder" model, Upton said that she wanted to be an inspiration for all those girls and women who don't fit in the beauty standards of the modeling industry.  According to what she thinks, Kate says that you don't have to suffer and be miserable because you feel you have to be skinny to be beautiful, successful and happy in your career or in your every day life.  Upton adds : «I wanted to inspire them by going through it and making it out the other end.  Everybody goes through hard times, regardless whether they didn't get the job that they wanted or if they are criticized for their body, so I think they can relate to that and people are rooting for me.  Me being criticized is more on a global level, but it still hurts just as much for any girl if she's at school being criticized or at work being criticized».

Cause, even though the fashion industry has celebrated her and put her on their biggest covers, many observers or journalists have noticed that, up to now, Kate Upton has not been in an advertising campaign for one of the big fashion brands.  That's why they say that, even if she is very popular, Kate is not a great model, yet...  At least, as they view it, she's not among the most shining and respected stars of modeling, even if she's only 22.  Others even think that Upton's career may be in jeopardy if she continues to lose control of her weight like she did some times before, and as it appears on many photos where she looks fat (see pic above).  Kate responds to these critics by saying that, so far, she is proud of her success.  If she is not already at the top with the most famous models, if her success is more on the commercial side, Upton explains that it's not because she doesn't get many offers in fashion campaigns.  She just can't do it all.  The model of the year, in 2013, at the 10th Annual Style Awards at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, Kate mentions that she has other interests too, like acting : «the more my career grows, I think that people will see that I have a lot more to offer and a lot more to give, but I want to do it right and that's why it's taking me time.  I'm patient about it.»

About her supposed weight problems, Upton replies : «I'm not going to starve just to be thin.  I want to enjoy life and I can't if I'm not eating and miserable» (...) «My curves are natural.  They're not going away, no matter how I try.» (...) «I wish I had smaller boobs every day of my life as I would love to wear spaghetti tops bra less or go for the smallest bikini design.»  But, at the end, Kate, who is presently in love with pro baseball player Justin Verlander, (there are even gossips about her being pregnant), declares that she loves her body and feels very confident with where she is and who she is as a person.

Early in her career, Kate Upton has been pegged as a bikini girl but she does not want to be doing bikini shoots her whole life.  She became celeb because of them but, for her, it's important that this work translates into acting or other areas.  Because she appears very sexy and almost completely naked on many of these photos, Upton has been criticized by some people, especially in social media.  A blogger has even called her : «thick, vulgar, almost pornographic.»  She's been compared to Marilyn Monroe.  As a matter of fact, it's true.  When you analyze her pictures, it seems that Kate tries to imitate the legendary Hollywood blonde.  Maybe it comes from those who direct the shootings.  They want to recreate and exploit this Marilyn look, because, even more than 50 years after her death, Norma Jean is still the ideal beauty and the phantasm of the American men.  "Playing" Marilyn is a natural for Kate Upton.  She loves to play.  Playing is at the center of her personality : playing games, playing sports, playing roles in movies, playing a bombshell, playing with the imagination of men who dream to see her naked.  For this pin up girl, who's name appears at the top of the hot list of many men magazines, it's a fun game to drive people crazy by exposing her sexy body.  She does it on purpose : «I like my bikinis very small, and I also like, uh, nude-colored bikinis because people double-take, they think I'm naked on the beach.»

Yes, it seems that Kate Upton enjoys her power to excite men, but, unfortunately for them, she pretends that she will stay away from being photographed naked.  Being shot nude, like famous models Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Lara Stone, is out of question for Kate.  Here is why : «For me those photos are art.  Your body is art, your body is beautiful, and to be photographed in that way is amazing and it's received in a very positive way.  But with Social media and the Internet and not so great blogs and the attention like that, I don't think that my pictures would be received in the way that I'd want them to be received.  That's why I've stayed away from them.  I really appreciate those photos and I think those women are beautiful and I think a woman is beautiful, but I think Social media and the Internet have prevented me from putting myself out there like that.»

Anyway, Kate Upton came so close -an inch or two of tissue, or a very fine layer of body paint- to be photographed naked, that it does not really make a big difference.  I think that she may have been the hottest teenager being shot in bikinis, in recent years.  But if Kate doesn't take care of her weight problems, her career on the beaches, as a model, is near its end, even though she is still in demand.  Being more and more interested in shooting movies (she appeared recently in the movie THE OTHER WOMAN, photo above) or doing other things, Upton would move without regrets over these beach "adventures" that were so important and lucrative for her.  All these wonderful bikini pictures will not disappear.  Men will look at them for ever.  By doing that too intensively, they may be dazed and see candles.  And if they look intensively at Kate Upton's marvelous blue eyes, they will see A SKY FULL OF STARS (see video below).

   

BEACH TIME AND YOU ARE OVERWEIGHT ? DON'T PANIC !

Summer is here and it's holiday time !  The temparature is hot and you feel the appeal of the beautiful beaches along the coasts.  You have been waiting for this for a long time.  You were dreaming of it while you were suffering at work.  Best time of the year ?  Not for everyone...  In the weeks preceding this wonderful period of liberty and fun, a lot of people -especially women between 20 and 60 years of age- are in a panic mode because they are (or think they are) too fat and will not look good if they go to the beach wearing their new and costly bikini.  Of course, they bought it a little bit smaller, being sure to lose some pounds along the way to vacations.  They have planned to exercise more and eat less to have a terrific body when they would be almost naked in public, on the beaches.  For many reasons they did not follow their plan or their diet, they cheated, and now they feel guilty and ashamed.  They even cry because they dreamed that they would look as good as their favorite movie star or singer.

Well, don't be so angry at yourself.  Don't be sad and afraid to go to the beach because you are heavier than you would like to be.  Unlike the stars who are photographed by paparazzis even when they go on private vacations, no one will notice that you have some weight to lose.  More than one half of all the Americans are fat, anyway...  Many popular singers, dancers, or actors who look great on stage, in movies or on TV shows don't look good when they only wear a swim suit.

There are almost as many opinions about beauty as there are viewers or judges.  At a moment or another, a commentator or someone in the show business has said that stars like Kate Upton, Jenifer Aniston, Jessica Simpson, Christina Aguilera or Jennifer Lawrence were fat.  Sometimes it was true but it's always a question of perception.

In this blog, we will take a good look at stars who like to go to the beach.  They want to take some rest or to be seen.  It can be important for their health.  Or they are simply in search of exposure to become the talk of the town and publicise their projects, their products or their image.  Paparazzis and journalists always like to know who is with them or what they do at beach parties.  Ordinary people are interested to read these stories in magazines.

Perfect human bodies are not so common on the beaches.  Here are some pictures of beauties on the sand.  While Calvin Harris sings his hit SUMMER.  Enjoy !