Tyra Banks. The name itself basically commands you to stand up straighter. For decades, the image of Tyra Banks in a bathing suit has been a sort of cultural North Star, but if you think it's just about a pretty woman in a bikini, you’re kinda missing the whole point. Honestly, looking back at her trajectory, it’s less about fashion and more about a sustained, thirty-year war against "the standard."
She didn't just walk onto a beach. She broke the beach.
The 1997 Shift: More Than Just Polka Dots
In 1997, Tyra landed the solo cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She was wearing a red and white polka-dot bikini. It’s the photo everyone remembers. But the real story is that she was the first Black woman to ever front that issue alone.
Before that? It just didn't happen.
The industry was, let’s be real, incredibly whitewashed. Tyra has talked openly about how her agencies initially struggled to book her because of her "ethnic" look. Then, as she got older, her body started to change. She wasn't that "waif" thinness that the high-fashion runways of Paris demanded in the early 90s.
Instead of starving herself to fit into a size zero sample dress, she pivoted. She went where the curves were celebrated. Swimsuit and lingerie modeling became her fortress. By choosing to be Tyra Banks in a bathing suit, she actually saved her career. She once famously said she made millions by being 20 or 30 pounds heavier than the average model.
That’s a boss move.
Coming Out of Retirement at 45
Fast forward to 2019. Tyra is 45. She’s "retired" from modeling. She’s a mogul, a mom, and a TV legend. Then, she drops the yellow bikini photos.
When she appeared as the 2019 SI Swimsuit cover star, she wasn't trying to look like the 23-year-old version of herself. She was 25 pounds heavier than her 1997 cover shoot. She even changed her modeling name to "BanX" to signal this new era.
"This is for everybody that has been told that they are not good enough because of their body, their age, their everything," she tweeted at the time.
People went wild.
Some critics, predictably, were weird about it. But the impact was massive. Seeing an iconic supermodel embrace "lumps, bumps, and chunks" (her words, not mine) on a global stage changed the "expiry date" conversation for women in media.
Why the "Kiss My Fat Ass" Moment Still Matters
You can't talk about Tyra in swimwear without mentioning the 2007 "incident." Paparazzi caught her on vacation in a one-piece. The tabloids were brutal. They ran headlines about "Tyra-saurus Rex" and mocked her weight gain.
She didn't hide.
She walked onto the set of her talk show wearing that exact same swimsuit. She stood there, live, and told the world to "kiss my fat ass." It was a visceral, angry, and deeply human moment. It wasn't "curated" body positivity. It was a woman who was fed up.
- The Lesson: Beauty isn't a fixed state.
- The Reality: The industry treats bodies like trends, but Tyra refused to be "out of style."
- The Impact: She paved the way for models like Ashley Graham and Precious Lee.
The 2024 and 2026 Perspective
Even recently, at age 50 and beyond, she’s still at it. Whether it's the 60th Anniversary "Legends" shoot or her return to the Victoria’s Secret runway in 2024, the message is consistent. She’s not trying to freeze time. She’s just living in it.
She recently told PEOPLE that if you’re feeling insecure at the beach, you should actually wear a smaller suit. Her logic? "When it’s a little bit smaller... it just looks sexy, trust me."
It’s that kind of unhinged, big-sister energy that makes her so relatable despite being a literal goddess. She knows the "smize" is just a tool, but the confidence is the real product.
What You Can Actually Take Away From Tyra
Look, we aren't all going to be photographed by Laretta Houston in the Bahamas. Most of us are just trying to find a suit that doesn't dig into our shoulders at the local YMCA. But the "Tyra Method" for swimsuit confidence is actually pretty practical if you strip away the glamour.
1. Stop waiting for the "goal weight." Tyra did her most iconic work when she was "heavier" than the industry wanted. If she’d waited to be "runway thin" again, we wouldn't know who she is.
2. Own the "jiggle." She’s been very vocal about the fact that retouching is the enemy. In 2024, she emphasized that the "extra oomph" is now being celebrated. If you can’t see yourself represented, you have to be your own representation.
3. Age is a pivot, not an end. Her 2019 return proved that you can "un-retire" whenever you want. You don't have to stop wearing bikinis because you hit a certain decade.
Moving Forward with Your Own Style
If you're looking to channel that energy this summer, start by auditing your social media feed. If you're only seeing filtered, 19-year-old influencers, your brain is going to lie to you about what a human body looks like. Follow "legends" like Tyra who show the evolution of a body over thirty years.
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Next time you put on a swimsuit, don't look for what’s "wrong." Look for the strength. Tyra didn't become a mogul by apologizing for her thighs. She became a mogul by making sure everyone was looking at them while she built an empire.
Go find a suit that makes you feel fierce. Forget the rules. Smize a little if you have to.