Fresh-Squeezed Fruit Friday: Barbara and Emily

Here are Barbara Palvin (2019) and Emily DiDonato (2016) showing a mango and an orange, respectively, no mercy on the beach.

For good measure, here are alternate shots of the girls actually eating the fruit. The methods, especially Emily's, are questionable...

Perfect Tens

These are my ten favorite SI models who’ve been introduced to us during this blog’s existence (not counting the one-hit wonders, who got their own list).

#10 Haley Kalil (model search 2018, rookie 2019)

(Yep, she’s new, but I have good feelings about her.)

First appearance: March 24, 2018, A Real Camille & Kalil Reveal

• • •

#9 Myla Dalbesio (2017)

First appearance: February 7, 2017, Christie’s Back

• • •

#8 Hannah Ferguson (2014)

First appearance: February 5, 2014, Latest Rookie Reveal: Hannah Ferguson

• • •

#7 Emily DiDonato (2013)

First appearance: February 5, 2013, Countdown: 7 Days to Go

• • •

#6 Bo Krsmanovic (2016)

First appearance: February 14, 2017, Northern Exposure

• • •

#5 Rose Bertram (2015)

First appearance: February 2, 2015, Rookie reveal #3: Rose Bertram

• • •

#4 Hailey Clauson (2015)
First appearance: May 5, 2014, A Bit of a Shayk-Up

• • •

#3 Barbara Palvin (2016)

First appearance: November 18, 2012, Missing the Complexities (several years before she was an SI girl!)

• • •

#2 Lais Ribeiro (2017)

First appearance: February 7, 2017, Christie’s Back

• • •

#1 Sara Sampaio (2014)

First appearance: February 4, 2014, Whaddaya Want, a Rookie?

The ranking is subject to change, depending on whichever recent photos I've seen. (UPDATE: In fact, I just moved Barbara Palvin up to #3. I previously had her at #5 for some reason.) I had to make some tough cuts. Vita Sidorkina and Kelsey Merritt were the last to be dismissed. Sorry, girls, I love you all!

This’ll Put Hair on Your Chest

The kids call it a “hair bra,” and I thought we could enjoy a tonsorial Topless Tuesday.

Same Suit, Different Babe: Chase/Haley/Olivia/Barbara

As long as I’ve popped back up …

Chase Carter was one of my favorite 2018 girls. (Dare I hope for another surprise return?)

Here she is modeling for Frankies Bikinis ...

... in a little number I first saw in SI 2019, gracing the body of Haley Kalil.

And speaking of 2019, that year introduced us to Olivia Brower, whom I’d love to see again. Here she is modeling for Indah …

… in a suit that Barbara Palvin showed us in 2018.

Babs on the Balcony

Back in April, someone posted these shots on Bellazon.

Seems Barbara Palvin was shooting some lingerie and an enterprising citizen took some snapshots from a neighboring location.

I was hoping the shoot would go live soon, but there’s no sign of it. (Is it Victoria’s Secret? No idea.)

So I thought I’d go ahead and point out that it’s the same Hollywood Hills balcony that accommodated fellow SI girls Christie Brinkley and Bar Refaeli.

It’s a gorgeous balcony. I get it.

I wonder how many other beautiful women have traipsed across it.

• • •

UPDATE: Aha, it seems to be for Aimer lingerie.

ROTY Revisited: 2016, 2017

2016: Who won?
Barbara Palvin.

Who should have won?
Barbara Palvin. I can’t argue with her at all. But if pressed for a runner-up, I’d pick Bo Krsmanovic, who does similar things to my heart and mind.

• • •

2017: Who won?
Bianca Balti.

Who should have won?
Lais Ribiero. This is one of the few where I have an ironclad correction for SI: Lais is one of the most gorgeous women to appear in SI this century.

Kelly Gale would have also been a magnificent choice, and I’m still bummed she was a one-and-done.

But yeah. Lais. All the way.

• • •

This was actually illuminating for me. I expected to have more instances of strong disagreement with SI's choices, but they were by and large pretty solid.

I also had this idea that ROTYs don't last for very many issues, but that's not necessarily true either. By my calculations, the average ROTY stint is about 4.2 years, whereas the entire rookie class during that nine-year period sticks around for about 2.3 years.

So, who's the Rookie of the Year for 2019? No idea!

Free-Hip Friday: Barbara Palvin, 2019

I mentioned that there weren’t a lot of freed hips in the 2019 issue.

I submit the curious case of this Barbara Palvin one-piece.

It reveals the whole side of her body, and the result is …

… kind of weird, to be honest. It’s an uncomfortable-looking slingshot effect.

It seems there’s a thin belt that is meant to be worn with it, and frankly the suit is much better looking with the belt attached.

I fancy myself a connoisseur of the one-piece, and part of my manifesto is that they are rarely improved by forced skimpification. If you want a bikini, get a bikini.

• • •

Kate Bock sports a similar style, a V that plunges down the body, starting at the breasts, with a belt to mark the halfway point of the journey.

I’m a big fan of a high-cut suit, but it’s possible to overdo it. Here, I think the back view suffers.

Kate is a slender model, and when the thong-style cut is too high, her, um, cheeks look elongated. A derrière like Kate’s needs a tighter frame to spotlight it.

Yes, like that!

• • •

Jasmine Sanders sports yet another swimsuit of this shape.

It just seems like a style that would look better on a curvier girl. Kate and Jasmine are quite petite.

But one thing the super-high-cut is good for is revealing the presence (or absence) of a tattoo along your inguinal crease. It’s there in Jasmine’s videos, but not her photos.

It’s evidence that the 2019 issue isn’t 100% natural after all.

Anyway, I guess I’m a fashion editor now.