These Hollywood Moms Were Bathing-Suit Beauties in the 1980s

Our Bathing-Suit Beauties series began with the Golden Age of the 1950s and now we’re featuring Hollywood moms from the 1980s looking lovely in their swimsuits from that era. These five famous mamas were hot commodities in the ’80s, and each brought their own unique brand of glamour to the spotlight.

1. Brooke Shields – Brooke Shields began her career at just 11-months-old and became one of the most successful child models of all-time. She starred in her first major film at the age of twelve and at fourteen the rising star became the youngest fashion model to ever appear on the cover of Vogue. By the time she reached sixteen, Shields was one of the most recognizable faces in the world and continued a successful dual career as a model and actress, well into adulthood. Although the natural beauty was, and still is, one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood Shields admitted that she fell prey to the pressures of being thin in Tinseltown but gained self-confidence after having children.

2. Elle Macpherson – Amazingly, Elle Macpherson looks just as gorgeous today as she did more than 30 years ago. During the 1980s, Macpherson was a hot ticket and landed the covers of several major magazines, including Cosmopolitan, Elle, and GQ. More exposure came when she appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine’s annual Swimsuit Issue, a record five times. In 1989 she was given the nickname Elle “The Body” Macpherson by Time Magazine after she appeared on their cover and it’s obvious why the name is so fitting.

3. Phoebe Cates – Phoebe Cates began modeling in her teens, however, she transitioned into acting when she was 17-years-old and became a fan favorite after appearing in movies such as Gremlins and Drop Dead Fred, however, most can’t forget her starring role in the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which features “the most memorable bikini-drop in cinema history, according to Rolling Stone Magazine. 

4. Kim Basinger – Another model-turned-actress is Kim Basinger. Basinger modeled for five years before focusing her passions on acting. The beauty’s prominence came in the 1980s, and her breakout role was as the Bond girl Domino Petachi in the 1983 film Never Say Never Again, where she starred opposite Sean Connery. Basinger went on to have phenomenal success as an actress and even earned an Academy Award for her role as the femme fatale in L.A. Confidential. It’s hard to believe that Basinger felt insecure about her looks during her modeling days.

5. Christie Brinkley – Believe it or not, Christie Brinkley thought she wasn’t model material. “I was basically a surfer girl from California. I never looked like a model. Models were thin, and they were very sophisticated…” Brinkley once said in an interview. Discovered in the early seventies when she was 18, Brinkley went on to have superstar success as a model. The all-American beauty landed multiple appearances on the cover of Glamour, and a 25-year contract with cosmetics brand CoverGirl plus she’s appeared on three consecutive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Edition covers, 1979-1981. Below is a photo from her 1980 Sports Illustrated Bikini Cover.

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