SI Swimsuit’s Lais Ribeiro Talks the Importance of Self-Work in Building Confidence

The four-time SI Swimsuit model shared her take on the process—and the meaning of beauty—while on set in Sacramento.

Lais Ribeiro was photographed by Anne Menke in Sacramento, Calif. / Anne Menke/Sports Illustrated

National Inner Beauty may be a few days behind us, but if you ask us, it’s never too late to celebrate. Here at SI Swimsuit, seeking out and applauding inner beauty is a pillar of the brand. Each year, the annual issue is made up of a series of multifaceted women whose actions, passions and personalities are a testament to their beauty.

We would say as much for every single face in the magazine over the years, and that includes, of course, Lais Ribeiro. The Brazilian model made her debut in 2017, but the partnership didn’t end there. In the following four years, she made three more appearances on the pages of the issue. With each feature, she only cemented further our notion of beauty and the importance of prioritizing the internal aspects, like kindness and positvity.

For Ribeiro, “it’s not all about beauty.” Confidence, or what we have been taught to think of as a byproduct of physical appearance, shouldn’t be based in external factors, according to the model. “I think when you take care of yourself,” she explained on the set of her 2021 SI Swimsuit photo shoot, “That’s how you feel confident.”

That year, the model was in Sacramento, Calif., where she posed for a feature different from any of her previous experiences with the brand. Unlike her first few, it wasn’t set in a tropical destination under the hot sun. It was sunny, but cool, and set in farm fields in the California countryside.

But there were aspects that remained the same, too. For one, much like her first few features, Ribeiro showed expert skill in front of photographer Anne Menke’s lens. Likewise, she was outfitted in a series of sweet swimsuits to match (and enhance) the natural backdrop. But perhaps most importantly, she was radiating confidence.

For her, as with most others, that’s not always a given. Her confidence was a byproduct of hard work. “I do take care of myself these days because I feel better, I have more energy, I feel more confident—for my work [and] for myself,” she remarked. “And I feel beautiful in my own skin.”

It is the confidence that really drove home the notion of beauty to Ribeiro. She felt beautiful because she was confident, and she was confident because she takes care of herself. The model made it clear that developing both is a matter of work, but it’s a worthwhile endeavor. To understand that, you simply need to look at the gorgeous snapshots from Sacramento.

Here are a few of our favorites.

Lais Ribeiro was photographed by Anne Menke in Sacramento, Calif. Swimsuit by Andi Bagus. / Anne Menke/Sports Illustrated

Lais Ribeiro was photographed by Anne Menke in Sacramento, Calif. Swimsuit by PatBo. / Anne Menke/Sports Illustrate

Lais Ribeiro was photographed by Anne Menke in Sacramento, Calif. Swimsuit by Bain de Minuit. / Anne Menke/Sports Illustrate