Samantha Hoopes Wore a Swimsuit So Tiny She Described It as a ‘Friendship Bracelet’

The SI Swimsuit model made seven consecutive appearances in the magazine.

Ananya Panchal | Apr 7, 2023

Samantha Hoopes was photographed by Josie Clough in Nevis.

Josie Clough/Sports Illustrated

Samantha Hoopes is an SI Swimsuit veteran with seven consecutive magazine features. She made her debut in 2014 and was photographed by Walter Iooss Jr. in St Lucia. She also participated in a body paint feature that year. The mom of two’s most recent appearance was in 2020 with Josie Clough in Scrub Island, British Virgin Islands.

The social media influencer, who has worked with notable brands including Guess and Levi’s, often shares photos of her husband, Salvatore Palella, son George and daughter Kennedy with her 1.5 million Instagram followers.

Throughout her years working with the swim team, Hoopes has become more comfortable letting loose and showing off her silly side on set.

While in Nevis during her 2018 photo shoot with Clough, she made a hilarious but astute observation about one of her swimsuits from beijobaby.

“I’ve had a lot of interesting suits this season. The one that sticks out to me the most in my head is the suit that we are referring to as a ‘friendship bracelet.’ I think this is actually a friendship bracelet that we decided was going to be my new suit,” she said with a laugh, while a member of the Swim Team attempted to untangle and hold the bikini right side up.

*Samantha Hoopes was photographed by Josie Clough in Nevis.*
Josie Clough/Sports Illustrated

“It’s honestly hard to tell the back from the front,” Hoopes added. “We’ll see how it looks on. [I] bet it’s going to be worth it.”

And it was worth it, indeed. The photos are absolutely breathtaking.

“Moving around in a suit that’s basically just one little braid over you private parts is kind of intimidating in a way,” she continued. “But the positions that Josie put me in made me feel super comfortable so I knew nothing was showing. It felt like I was naked, so, I’m kind of a fan.”

Make sure to follow SI Swimsuit on YouTube!

Published Apr 7, 2023

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When she is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, Panchal can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast. Panchal has a bachelor’s in communications and journalism from Boston University.