Christie Brinkley made a splash in 2017 when, at age 63, she posed alongside her daughters, Alexa Ray Joel and Sailor Brinkley Cook, for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.
It wasn’t the first time for the model, who first covered the magazine in 1979 and then set a record by landing the covers for the next two years. But this time, the star was having second thoughts.
Brinkley told the August/September 2022 issue of Long Island Woman that the opportunity "came about suddenly."
"I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to do it," the 68-year-old admitted to the outlet. "But I did really want my girls to have that experience so we said OK."
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The shoot took place at their family home in Turks and Caicos. While Brinkley has led a successful career being in the spotlight, she still faced some insecurities posing once more in bikinis.
"The second you start thinking about being in ‘Sports Illustrated’ you start thinking about, ‘Oh, do we stack up?’" Brinkley explained. "Everybody gets a little insecure. It was kind of interesting for everybody to be together there and sort of address their insecurities and get it out there."
"My girls have both had different fears having grown up in front of the scrutiny of the press, so I think it was fraught with a little bit of anxiety," she continued. "But it was cathartic, I think. Everybody enjoyed the moment and having that experience together."
Brinkley noted that having a positive outlook on life has been essential over the years.
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"I’ve always been of the school of, ‘You just got to be grateful for whatever you got. You’ve got two arms, two legs, two eyes,’" she said. "It’s silly to stress about anything else. Be grateful. So what if it’s five pounds up, it’s you and it’s all good."
These days, Brinkley is grateful that the modeling industry has become more inclusive over the years.
"The most beautiful thing about this beauty industry is that its arms are wide open trying to make sure that they embrace and celebrate every size, shape, age, race," she said. "And that they see themselves and find themselves on the pages and feel good about themselves."
While it’s been "a great movement," Brinkley said there's more work to be done.
"I would still like to see more women my age in magazines because women say to me on my Instagram account all the time, 'I’m so happy when I see your full outfit. Because sometimes I don’t know what’s OK to wear,'" she said. "And I try and give people the message that, if you feel good in it, then it’s OK."
Back in April 2021, Brinkley told Fox News Digital she hoped her latest swimsuit snaps, which often go viral, will inspire other women to celebrate themselves — no matter their age.
"I post these pictures because I hear from women my age all the time that say, ‘Thank you for changing the way people think about the numbers,’" Brinkley said at the time. "Back in the day, numbers represented something. I remember people thinking that after 30, you should never wear your hair past your shoulders or your hemline needed to hover your knee caps."
"I’ve always found those rules so limiting," she said. "Everybody’s different, everybody’s unique. But it’s like telling a gymnast she can’t do flips past a certain age. It doesn’t make sense. If you’ve got great legs, show them. If there’s something about yourself that you really love, celebrate that. Don’t be controlled by those numbers."
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At the time, Brinkley said she didn't see herself posing for SI Swimsuit again.
"Hmm, I doubt it," she said. "I feel like, been there, done that. I think when I put on my bathing suit again, I want to also have a snorkel and go diving, see the fish."
