Model Paulina Porizkova has nothing but love for Martha Stewart, who just became the oldest woman to appear on the cover of a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine at age 81.
The author of “No Filter: The Good, The Bad, and The Beautiful” also took a moment to praise Padma Lakshmi, who appeared in the magazine at age 52. Paulina just turned 58 last month and is static to see so many older woman finally enjoying their time in the spotlight!
Paulina Porizkova Celebrates Martha Stewart’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover With Her Own Red Bikini Throwback!
On Wednesday morning, the “Anna” actress took to Instagram to share photos of her posing in a red bikini in 2019. She compared it with a side-by-side photo of her younger self in 1984, wearing a revealing red cut-out swimsuit. In the caption, she focused on how beautiful older women look as they age.
“Martha Stewart @marthastewart48 is one of the four covers of this year’s SI. At 81, she’s making history as the oldest woman to be a bathing suit pinup. Padma Lakshmi @padmalakshmi is another gorgeous, powerful, intelligent woman featured inside at 52,” she began. “And of course I love it! We’re finally having a bit of spotlight on us seasoned women, showing us as vibrant and sexy!”
“But it is to be noted how much younger all these amazing women look. Which still tells the rest of us that to be seen as beautiful at our age, we better not actually look our age,” she continued. “I’m just as guilty of this as anyone. Although I do not filter or retouch any of my photos and have not had interventions, I’m careful to pick the photos of myself that are the most flattering. If you want attention for the beauty of age- it has to look somewhat appealing- and that still means – younger.”
“This keeps poking at me- and I can’t quite figure out how to navigate these waters,” she explained. “I’m so happy we are finally invited back to the main tables, but – we’re expected to show up looking like our daughters. I am offering my sincerest admiration to these incredibly aspirational women who make age look like anything they want- and are living their best lives, sexy, vibrant, and seasoned.”
Read Related Also: Mother, 82, locked in bitter court fight with own daughter, 52, who wants to kick pensioner out
Paulina Reminds Her Followers ‘Sexy Has No Expiration Date’
“They do make aging look great, if somewhat optional, which may be the step we need in the right direction. They will not take a seat in a corner and fade away as dictated, highlighting all of us in the process by having the spotlight turned on them and by extension, the rest of us,” she concluded, wrapping up her post with the hashtags #sexyhasnoexpirationdate, #sportsillustratedswimsuit, and #olderisbolder. She also tagged @si_swimsuit in the post as well.
Her post earned praise from fans. “Thank you for continuing to champion older women, exploring the issues around how we are represented in the media, and being honest about your own mixed feelings. You echo the thoughts of many of us,” one fan commented. “We’re all asking these questions and exploring our own internalized ageism. Thanks for being so real and honest,” another follower wrote. “It’s okay to not know the answers and still be asking the questions. We love you for it,” a third fan chimed in.
Thrilled to be on cover of the @SI_Swimsuit issue! I hope this cover inspires you to challenge yourself to try new things. Pick up on newsstands May 18th! #SISwimsuit #SISwim23 @ruvenafanador pic.twitter.com/DsRgLr6crK
— Martha Stewart (@MarthaStewart) May 15, 2023
“Your honesty is a much-appreciated voice, as is your continued attention to what it means to grow older in a society that doesn’t always value it. Keep doing what you’re doing!” another follower commented. “I struggle with this too. Despite the work that still needs to be done to combat misogyny, sexism, and ageism, I applaud the progress made. Thank you Paulina for your brave work,” another fan wrote. “It’s great to see the progress but as always real change takes time but I’m happy to see SI moving in the right direction…” another follower shared.
However, several of Paulina’s fans felt that Martha Stewart’s magazine cover was “heavily photoshopped” and thus it can’t be “really her.” Regardless, many fans applauded Paulina for continuing to lend her voice to tough conversations.
