When Sports Illustrated celebrated its 25th Anniversary Issue, there was no other choice but to put Kathy Ireland on the cover. It was 1989 and the brunette, blue-eyed beauty was the hottest It girl of the year. She sat dripping wet with her hair slicked back in Mexico’s Pacific Ocean in a simple yellow bikini—and the cover has gone on to be one of the most celebrated.
Without being overly produced or photo-shopped, Kathy’s natural beautiful look was the very essence of the swimsuit issue—her athletic figure in a photograph that was both modern and timeless.
A lot has changed in the way that the world sees beauty today, but Sports Illustrated stays true to capturing images of beautiful women that are classy, sexy, and classic. So who can we expect to see this year? Will SI choose someone new like red head Cintia Dicker, or perhaps select a cover girl who wowed in year’s past like Brooklyn Decker?
Even more so, in 2013 SI celebrates its 50th Anniversary. The magazine has a lot to live up to if we are comparing to Kathy’s 25th anniversary shot—but we think they are up to the challenge.
