Lily Aldridge Reflected on Aging With Grace During Her Latest SI Swimsuit Photo Shoot

The 38-year-old is focused on loving herself despite the changes as she ages.

Lily Aldridge was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dress by Vivienne Westwood. Shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti. Jewelry by Ettika. / Yu Tsai/ Sports Illustrated

Here at Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, Lily Aldridge is a household name. She’s been with the brand for over a decade now, and her time has yielded four different features—including one incredible cover photo shoot. In fact, it was a 2014 cover shoot in the Cook Islands that kicked off her partnership with the brand.

It was her first year posing for the annual magazine—and she made her debut in a big way. Not only was she on the cover of the magazine, but she was on the cover of the 50th anniversary issue. 2014 marked 50 years of the annual magazine, and the yearly issue celebrated the milestone with standard swimwear photo shoots and a Legends session in New York City. At the time, Aldridge was new to the brand—not quite yet a regular. But over the next few years, she cemented her spot on the pages and forged a partnership with SI Swimsuit that has lasted to this day.

In fact, while Aldridge may have been too fresh a face to pose for the Legends photo shoot in 2014, she was a perfect pick for the 2024 60th anniversary Legends photo shoot in Hollywood, Fla. This year, the model made her way to the Sunshine State for her fourth feature—and another spot on the cover, too. It was a full circle moment for the 38-year-old, who kicked off her relationship with the brand on the front of the magazine.

Aldridge has grown and aged alongside the SI Swimsuit issue. Between her first appearance and her most recent, she has become even more accomplished and poised (though she was both of those things a decade ago, too). On the set in Florida, she proved as much. Reflecting on her experience with the brand meant likewise reflecting on aging. When it comes to her philosophy on the matter, Aldridge has a simple mantra: “I don’t want to be perfect. I want to be me.”

So, where skincare is concerned, the model is only ever trying to “be more loving.” No matter what her skin has in store for her, she’s focused on appreciating herself and her appearance. “As I’m aging and wrinkling and all of these things,” she said, she reminds herself that “they’re beautiful”—much as the process is, too.

Aldridge is beautiful both inside and out—we’ve known that just about as long as we’ve known her. And we have the pictures from her Legends photo shoot to prove it.

Lily Aldridge was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dress by Vivienne Westwood. Shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti. Jewelry by Ettika. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated