Bethenny Frankel is embracing her confidence more than ever as the years go by.
At 55, Frankel shared her thoughts exclusively with Us Weekly about being the oldest model to grace the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit runway on Tuesday, June 9.
“I feel more liberated,” the former star of Real Housewives of New York City expressed to Us on June 9. “I feel joyful, I feel accomplished. It’s like I get bonus points now, and honestly, I don’t think anyone’s bothered by it.”
She added, “Age wasn’t something I thought about until this show. Yes, women often feel overlooked, dismissed, written off. They seem to age out… But this experience has shifted that perspective.”
Frankel admitted that she hadn’t initially realized she was standing up for older women, but she felt honored by the encouragement she received. “People were telling me, ‘You really represented us, you go.’ It’s incredible, and that’s the most important thing,” she shared with Us.
Bethenny Frankel isn’t here for haters on her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit runway moment. Frankel, 55, took to TikTok on Tuesday, June 2, to open up about her “experience” walking in the SI Swimsuit show during Miami Swim Week for the second year in a row. “It is so fun because of the women,” she said. […]
One of the reasons Frankel loves the SI Swimsuit runway so much is because “you see everyone’s confident in their own body shape, size, race, height, ass, boobs, legs, tan,” and more. “That is very empowering,” she explained. “You just fit in.”
“Changing the age construct is so valuable because it’s the biggest thing people are thinking about: anti-aging,” the Bravolebrity added.
As for where her confidence comes from, Frankel shared that it’s a “practice.”
“It’s like a honed craft that you practice, and then it creates more confidence, because you see that it works, because you see that women are so concerned about what they look like,” she said, noting that it’s not only about physical appearance. “Focus on your personality, focus on being entertaining, focus on being smart, commanding a presence, owning a room, being interested,” she advised. “Anybody can be hot now … so just be confident.”
While walking on the runway, Frankel looked her best in a blue-and-white crochet bikini featuring triangle cups and string bottoms. She later changed into a black set complete with sweetheart cups and strappy bottoms.
To prepare for the show, she used Sofwave and PureImpact to look picture-perfect. “I did some of the Sofwave [for skin lifting in her face and body] and PureImpact treatments,” she said of the muscle-toning device that stimulates exercises. “I did that a couple of times before last year’s show, and then before this year’s show. I know that you feel sore after it … I’m doing more than I used to, because everybody got in my head.”