The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue debuted in 1964 as a five page supplement meant to increase readership during the winter sports lull after the Super Bowl.
The very first cover featured a model in a conservative, non-revealing bikini. The photo was shot at a wide angle, almost focusing more on the beach background than the model.
Throughout the 60's, 70's, and 80's, the covers remained fairly tame; they generally featured a beautiful woman wearing a bathing suit any young woman would wear to the beach.
In the 90's and 2000's, a trend began. The models started wearing less and less, and the camera focused more and more on their bodies, and less on the surrounding scene.
Here's the first swimsuit cover from 1964. The bathing suit is hardly revealing and the camera angle is wide
A few years later in 1969, the model wore a skirt over her bikini and someone else was in the background of the shot
In 1970, the model wore a very conservative long sleeve top
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See Also:
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