Sports Illustrated, the American sports magazine, has become known as much for its sports analysis as it has for cementing the careers of a number of supermodels. Its swimsuit edition has previously featured the likes of Tara Banks, Elle Macpherson and Heidi Klum. Now, the cooking legend Martha Stewart joins their ranks, gracing the cover of the swimsuit edition at the age of 81, making her the oldest woman to do so.
“When I heard that I was going to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, I thought: ‘Oh, well that’s pretty good.’ I’m gonna be the oldest person, I think, ever on the cover of Sports Illustrated,” . “And I don’t think about age very much, but I thought that this is kind of historic and that I better look really good.”
It’s safe to say Stewart looks amazing. Wearing a plunging white swimsuit and an orange silk cover-up, Stewart also posed in a variety of swimsuits inside the magazine, including a Bond-esque silver suit that she posted on her Instagram account. “Trying new things is very good. Being fearless is very good. Don't be afraid of anything,” she wrote in her post.
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit editor-in-chief MJ Day , “Never in her life has [Martha] let her circumstances dictate her outcome. She’s changed with the times—always one step ahead, it seems—to build a wide-reaching business empire.”
Stewart gained fame in the 1980s for writing a number of successful cookbooks. Since then, she’s gone on to lead an empire around her cooking, which includes TV shows, a magazine, a podcast and even a restaurant. Her for lying about the sale of company shares hardly dented her popularity.
This latest appearance is of course great marketing for her brand, but it’s also another example of how women are enjoying increasing visibility as they age. In a society that , it’s heartening to see more representation of women as they become older.
The media has long lagged behind in its representation of older women, but actresses such as , Helen Mirren and Angela Bassett are showing that perhaps the tide is turning. Vogue’s recent is another great example.
There’s no one way a woman gets to age, and every woman should decide for herself how she wants to appear as she gets older
There have been criticisms of Stewart’s appearance, mostly because she’s been presented in a way that doesn’t make her look . But a counterpoint to that criticism is that there’s no one way a woman gets to age, and every woman should decide for herself how she wants to appear as she gets older. It’s also a reminder that women don’t stop wanting to feel sexy and express that sexuality – as Stewart has in her photoshoot – as they get older.
Of course, there is no denying that Stewart is incredibly wealthy and would have access to nutritionists, dietitians and personal trainers, but so do many celebrities.
Fashion magazine covers, with their photoshopping, lighting and professional photographers, are unlikely to ever be an accurate representation of reality. But the fact that until very recently these covers were only highlighting youth and beauty in women under 30 means we’ve at least made some inroads into showcasing older women.
In the end, no matter your view, people are taking notice – and that’s a good thing. For younger people, this means they get to see that there are no limits to feeling attractive.
Feeling good about yourself is a long journey – one that is constantly evolving. And aging is just a part of that.
As Stewart herself said on American morning program , “I think that all of us should think about good living, successfully living, and not about aging. The whole aging thing is so boring. You know what I mean?”
