In Honor of Emily DiDonato’s Modeling Tips, We’re Throwing It Back to Her Best SI Swimsuit Moments

The six-time brand star recently shared a few modeling ‘don’ts’ on Instagram.

Emily DiDonato was photographed by Anne Menke in Sacramento, Calif. Swimsuit by Sports Illustrated Swim. Duster by WeWoreWhat. Boots by Zimmermann. | Anne Menke/Sports Illustrated

Earlier this week, Emily DiDonato shared some expert modeling tips with her 2.8 million Instagram followers, and with nearly 20 years of experience under her belt, who better than the six-time SI Swimsuit model to impart some wisdom?

On Tuesday, Aug. 4, the mom of three shared the things she would “never do before a photo shoot,” while also acknowledging the fact that she has, in fact, made all of the following mistakes in the past:

1. Show up starving. You need energy to be on your feet all day and do your job well.
2. Use too many retinoids on your skin before a shoot, always leads to dry, irritated skin.
3. Drink too much coffee and show up to set dehydrated, jittery and cranky.
4. Drink alcohol the night before a shoot, dehydrates the skin and causes puffiness.
5. Get a facial or new treatment too close to a photo shoot. Risks redness and irritation.
6. Too much hair oil before a shoot. I made this mistake very recently lol. Show up with clean hair.
7. Laying out in the sun beforehand. I’ve made this mistake of showing up sunburned or with intense tan lines. Makes it hard for makeup to cover.
8. Get a spray tan too close to a shoot. I did this very recently and showed up straight orange.
9. Show up to set with a gel manicure.

Plenty of DiDonato’s followers chimed into the comments section of her candid post to remark upon her refreshing honesty—as well as her beauty.

“Your face card is so Platinum,” one comment read.

“Me taking notes *as if* I was ever going to model 🤡,” somone else joked.

“She’s an icon,” another follower wrote.

When DiDonato first posed for the SI Swimsuit Issue in 2013, her rookie photo shoot was captured by Kayt Jones in Namibia. She returned to the fold each of the next three years, traveling to Switzerland, Hawai’i and Turks and Caicos for her work with the brand. After a brief break away from the magazine, DiDonato once again posed for the SI Swimsuit Issue in 2020 (for a breathtaking photo shoot in Wyoming) and 2021 (when she was photographed in Sacramento, Calif.).

In addition to her work with SI Swimsuit, the 35-year-old New York native is also famous for starring in campaigns with brands like Maybelline, Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein and countless others. She has also hosted her own podcast, ReModeling With Emily DiDonato, and cofounded the recently shuttered beauty brand Covey in 2021.

Below, we’re throwing it back to just a few of our favorite photographs of DiDonato on set with SI Swimsuit over the years.

Emily DiDonato was photographed by Anne Menke in Sacramento, Calif. Swimsuit by Bain de Minuit. Hat by Lack of Color. | Anne Menke/Sports Illustrated

Emily DiDonato was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Saratoga, Wyo. Swimsuit by Monica Hansen. Necklace by Nativo Arts. | Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Emily DiDonato was photographed by Yu Tsai in Switzerland. | Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Emily DiDonato was photographed by James Macari in Turks & Caicos. Swimsuit by Lost Art By Jordan Betten. | James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Emily DiDonato was photographed by Anne Menke in Sacramento, Calif. Swimsuit by Dos Gardenias. Sweater by Mango. Boots by Ariat. | Anne Menke/Sports Illustrated

Emily DiDonato was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Saratoga, Wyo. Swimsuit by Meshki. Top by Hunza G. Boots by Jeffrey Campbell. | Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

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