Christie Brinkley gardens in a bikini to avoid weird tan lines

SI Staff | Jun 5, 2017

This post was written by Kaitlyn Frey and originally appeared on People.com.

Christie Brinkley may be 63-years-old, but that doesn’t mean she’s ready to hang up her skimpy bikinis for good. The three-time Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model loves the classic swimwear style so much, she even puts one on as she does household chores, and doesn’t plan on stopping no matter how old she gets.

“I always put a bikini on and say, ‘Oh, it is just to wear around the house. I am not going to go anywhere in it. I just want to get a little color while I am gardening,'” Christie, who stars in Gap’s newest Bridging the Gap campaign, told PeopleStyle. “I run around trimming my begonias to even everything out so I don’t have any tan lines.”

Her reasoning is simple: “When you’re naked, you want those parts tanned!”

Before anyone worries that she’s not practicing sun safety, she’s clear that she’s careful about protecting her skin. “I don’t care how much sunblock you put on, when you’re outdoors as much as I am, you’re going to get some color.”

Although Christie's plan is just to keep her bikini-clad bod to herself at home, sometimes her paddle-boarding takes her to areas that are a little bit more public than she bargains for.

“Where I live there is a side of the island that is the hotel area, and I end up paddle boarding down when I don’t intend to be there,” the star told us. But she takes it all in stride. “You know what? You can’t really critique a person over 50 — it is just like, if they are brave enough to put on a bikini then you let them be!”

For the model’s latest gig, though, she chose to be a bit more covered up. Christie, along with a diverse, star-studded group including Priyanka Chopra, Yara Shahidi, Wiz Khalifa, Jasmine Sanders and many more, teamed up with Gap and British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful to star in a film called Bridging the Gap, which brings to life the brand’s iconic basic white t-shirt. The idea behind the campaign? Offering a glimpse at how everyone’s differences can unite them.

“I got a call that Edward was doing a video that was going to be about diversity and I didn’t have to hear any more than that,” Christie told us. “The film is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Looking around the room [when we were shooting], it was such a diverse group of people. Everybody is so gorgeous in their own right.”

Although the 63-year-old has a vast collection of white tees — from oversized extra-large tanks she pairs with leggings to extra small short-sleeved t-shirts under a blazer — Christie opted for a white long-sleeved style for this shoot.

“I wore the long sleeve one, ’cause at my age, I didn’t want to have to worry about my arms!” she said.

BONUS: See Christie's incredible photos from SI Swimsuit 2017!

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos. Swimsuit by Monica Hansen Beachwear.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos. Swimsuit by Bao Tranchi.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos. Swimsuit by Monica Hansen Beachwear.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos. Swimsuit by Mia Marcelle.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos. Swimsuit by Mia Marcelle.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos. Swimsuit by Bao Tranchi.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos. Swimsuit by Monica Hansen Beachwear.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos. Swimsuit by Monica Hansen Beachwear.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos. Swimsuit by Bao Tranchi.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos. Swimsuit by Mia Marcelle.

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley & Alexa Ray Joel were photographed by Emmanuelle Hauguel in Turks & Caicos. Swimsuits by Sauvage Swimwear by Elizabeth Southwood and BOUND + TIDE by Mitchell Kass.