Hello, long long time lurker, (almost) first time poster. I wish my first long post (and thread) was a positive post, but I adore the SI Swimsuit Issue, there's so much about it that's great.
But It just seems like recently the issue has been trying to be more like a high fashion magazine than what (to me) it actually is: a celebration of beautiful, pretty, and athletic women wearing less clothes than usual. It's Sports Illustrated, so I think an SI Swimsuit Issue model should look like she has some athletic ability rather than looking like she'd snap in half with mild exertion (cough*angelalindvall*). I think prettiness in a SI model is just as important as beauty, if not even more so.
Now, I like skinny models, I'll admit that. Izabel Goulart, Alessandra , Ana Beatriz, theyr'e some of my favorite and sexiest models of all time. But I think an SI model should have some curviness and athletic tone to them. Am I wrong?
There've been some great ones recently, like Marissa and Petra (goddesses!) but there've been a lot more that I didn't like. I really value my issues from the late 1990s (and up to maybe about 2001) more than the most recent ones. Despite the presence of Marissa and petra, who usually save an issue from itself.
Sorry if these biased opinions are cotnradictory, but there ya go. What do you think, please?
Michelle Alves - kinda pretty and deliciously toned (those abs!!), but could use more curves
May Andersen - god, no; stick to Vogue, please
Ana Beatriz Barros - one of the most beautiful faces on earth but she has no hips and little tushie
Elsa Benitez - can't justify it,, but she's fantastic in SI, for me
Yamila Diaz-Rahi - not really my favorite type, but great anyway
Isabeli Fontana - great!! so lovely...
Alicia Hall - kinda pretty, but she doesn't know how to pose at all; I'll give her some slack for lack of experience modelling though
Bridget Hall - beautiful, but definitely not what I'd call "pretty"; her body just seems to define the kind thats more suited to high fashion than SI (we'll see more like that in a moment)
Melissa Keller - a less remarkable version of Marissa Miller... still good, though
Shakara Ledard - yummy; almost makes me forget Tyra (...almost!)
Noemie Lenoir - as luscious as Tyra but in a different way
Angela Lindvall - gorgeous (under the right conditions)... but SI? no, please no!
Michelle Lombardo - curvy? oh my yes... not really "pretty", though even though she's kinda beautiful
Vanessa Lorenzo - I wish she'd done a lot more shoots for SI, she coulda been classic! Spanish heat
Marisa Miller - the quintessential SI babe (...one ofthem, anyway)
Jose Moran - another classic
Fernanda Motta - another beautiful but not pretty one; her sexy Latina bod and attitude make it work though somehow
Carolyn Murphy - see Bridget Hall
Petra Nemcova - beyond classic, eternal; pretty, beautiful, sexy toned bod... sigh...
Chandra North - cute, but more of a fashion type body than SI
Daniela Pestova - classic!! my very first favorite SI babe and Victoria's Secret model
Audrey Quock - lovely, but I just don't see why they chose her for SI at all
Frankie Rayder - see Carolyn Murphy, but even less pretty; I do like her as a fashion model, dont get me wrong...
Daniella Sarahyba - adorable face, body is (like Michelle Lombardo) curvy... she's able to bring something new and different to SI but still keep it SI, if you know what I mean =)
Molly Sims - great for SI, but I never liked her for some reason (could be my pretty bias)
Mallory Snyder - beautiful, but not... you know
Jessica Van Der Steen - Carolyn Murphy/Bridget Hall/etc... bonus points for towheaded-ness
Veronica Varekova - I like Marissa more, but she's nice
Jessica White - nice, but I keep thinking of Tyra