Christie Brinkley "always" wears a bikini when she is gardening.
Christie Brinkley
The 63-year-old model and actress has revealed she will happily strip down to her skimpy swimwear when she is pruning the bushes or pottering around her house so she can get a "little colour" to her skin without getting any tan lines.
Speaking about her everyday attire, the blonde-haired beauty - who graced the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine three times - told PEOPLE: "I always put a bikini on and say, 'Oh, it is just to wear around the house. I am not going to go anywhere in it. I just want to get a little colour while I am gardening'.
"I run around trimming my begonias to even everything out so I don't have any tan lines.
"When you're naked, you want those parts tanned."
Christie - who has daughters Alexa, 31, Sailor, 18, and 22-year-old son Jack - believes if a woman of any age and size if "brave enough" to don a skimpy bikini, they should continue to do so regardless of any critical comments they receive.
She said: "You know what? You can't really critique a person over 50 -- it is just like, if they are brave enough to put on a bikini then you let them be."
And the star makes sure she protects her skin when she is in the sun and will layer on the sun cream.
She added: "I don't care how much sunblock you put on, when you're outdoors as much as I am, you're going to get some colour.
"Where I live there is a side of the island that is the hotel area, and I end up paddle boarding down when I don't intend to be there."
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