Two-Pièce de Résistance: Judit Masco, 1990

I’m not really a breast man, but dang.

Photo: Robert Huntzinger

This photo makes me understand them. These are masterpieces.

The netted top drapes casually and translucently over them, and Judit, apparently just fine with it, tosses us a smile. You can almost see her tilt her head back for a friendly nod as you pass her on the beach. (She’s staying at a neighboring cabin.)

This was over a decade before the great de-nippling of Sports Illustrated, and this is probably the kind of photo that got them temporarily banned in the first place.

The bikini bottom, color-coordinated with the net and the flippers and the bracelet, is a sweet, smooth, yellow triangle. But one fun detail is the twist on the strap above her hip.

In this magazine, swimsuits tend to be form-fitting and pristine. We want the suits, even if they’re not actually painted on, to look painted on.

But here, whether or not it’s intentional, the tiny twist implies casualness.

There’s a companion photo.

Here we see Judit from behind. Maybe we’ve been watching her go back and forth with her flippers and her bag of … dry clothes? Shells? This time, perhaps she’s a little less patient with our stare. Her mouth is caught mid-sentence, as if she’s saying, “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

But from this angle we also see her hair, mussed and beachy, tied up with a bandana. The top is a little ragged, now that you mention it. And her bikini bottom is a little loose, ever so slightly saggy, not the shrinkwrap that most SI swimsuits are.

These photos are a teensy bit ramshackle, at least compared to most others. It feels like a beach — not a fantasy beach, but a more visceral one, with the humid air and a mild sunburn and a little sand in your shoes. I think Judit looks a bit more down-to-earth, maybe even touchable, as a result.

Calendar Girls, Revisited: 1993

So, it's looking more and more like the swimsuit issue will be later than normal this year. Normally we'd be a month out at this point, and there'd have been plenty of communications about it. But other than a bit of activity last year, there's been a whole lot of silence.

As long as this February won't bring us any new photos, we might as well look at a February past. A couple of under-the-radar models graced us on 2/19/93: Shana Zadrick was the calendar girl and Tanya Mityushina was born.

A couple weeks later, we got Bregje Heinen and Judit Masco on March 5.

After couple more weeks, we had a collaboration between two cover girls: Kathy Ireland welcomed Danielle Herrington on the 26th.

And on October 8, Ashley Richardson introduced us to Barbara Palvin, for which we should be quite grateful.

I can't leave without mentioning Adaora. I believe she was born in 1993, but I can't for the life of me find the actual date. So here she is, in all her loveliness.

Calendar Girls, Revisited: 1992 Part 2

The first full week of May was very fertile. Elle Macpherson presides over the arrival of Hannah Ferguson (3/5) and Olivia Culpo (3/8).

August 6 brought us Haley Kalil, celebrated by Elle and Rachel Hunter.

Ebonee Davis was born November 17 while Judit Masco posed on her boat.

Calendar Girls, Revisited: 1992 Part 1

1992 provided an excellent crop of swimsuit models.

On February 12, under the Everhart zodiac sign, Valerie van der Graaf arrived.

The following week, under Ashley's watchful one-piece, we met newly minted rookie Camille Kostek.

Soon after, on March 1, Judit Masco introduced us to Bo Krsmanovic.

Then on March 26 (quite an eventful couple of months), Nina Agdal arrived, under the lounging figure of Monica Bellucci.

Calendar Girls, Revisited: 1991 Part 2

Now this was a beautiful week. On July 21, 1991, Sara Sampaio was welcomed by a tag team of Judit Masco and Akure Wall.

On September 4, Cris Urena's arrival was overseen by Ashley Richardson.

Kathy's third appearance coincided with Sofia Resing's birth on September 25.

And Kirby Griffin was born on November 14, under the sign of Elle.

Same Suit, Different Babe: Judit and Barbara

One last One-Piece Wednesday tidbit before I (probably) hang up the blog for another year.

In this candids video of Barbara Palvin trying on swimsuits (worth watching on its own merits, obviously), you get a couple glimpses of a certain familiar one-piece that doesn't seem to have made it into the 2018 issue.

Yep, it's the same suit Judit Masco wore in 1991. (It's literally the same brand and everything: Keiko.)

Maybe they didn't use it because it was the wrong retro decade?


See you when 2019 starts to ramp up.

One Last One-Piece Wednesday

A final array of beauties to support my pro-one-piece argument.

QED.

Happy Birthday, Judit Masco

The 1990 cover girl is 45.

Happy Birthday, Heidi and Swimsuitologist

Happy 41st, Heidi.

And happy 4th, Swimsuitologist.

Four years. That's a Presidential office term.

That's the time between one Summer Olympics and the following Summer Olympics.

When the first post went up on June 1, 2010: Emily DiDonato, Chanel Iman, and Samantha Hoopes were all 19 years old.

Valerie van der Graaf, Emily Ratajkowski, Cris Urena, and Sara Sampaio were 18.

Kate Upton and Bregje Heinen were 17.

And Gigi Hadid?

Gigi Hadid had just turned 15.

Weekly Planner Week, Part 4

A few more redundancies from the desk calendars.

9/26/93: “Vendela knows her net worth.”

8/7/95: “Aya ponders her net worth.”

4/8/90: “Things are looking up for Elle.”

5/8/95: “Everything’s looking up for Stacey.”

2/4/90: “A giant step for Ashley.”

7/17/95: “One giant leap for Patricia.”

1/19/92: “A starring role for Judit.”

8/14/95: “Lana plays a starring role.”

12/29/92 (93 calendar): “Stephanie poses no problem.”

11/21/94: “Kathy poses no problems.”