Padma Lakshmi is feeling herself—and she’s got the bikini photos to prove it. The 54-year-old “Taste the Nation” host turned heads this week with a string of steamy vacation snapshots, showing off her figure and sharing a refreshingly candid take on body changes in her 50s.
On Thursday, the Emmy-nominated TV personality posted a series of photos from her getaway in the Hamptons. In them, she’s wearing a tiny neon pink string bikini, glowing in the sunset and cuddling a tiny Chihuahua that nipped at her lips mid-snuggle. It’s classic Padma: sultry, sunny, and not taking herself too seriously.
But behind the glamorous beach shots, she’s also opening up about a very real part of aging that isn’t often discussed—especially in celebrity circles.
Bra Size Surprise at Midlife
In a June 2024 interview with Forbes, Lakshmi revealed something that caught a lot of women off guard: her bra size had jumped from a 34C to a 36DD in her mid-40s.
She wasn’t pregnant. She wasn’t undergoing any kind of surgery. This was plain old hormonal change.
“Nobody told me that your boobs get huge,” she said bluntly, referring to her experience entering perimenopause.
That change didn’t come without frustration. While her tastes stayed the same, she felt left out by the limited lingerie options available in larger sizes—too “matronly,” too modest, and not reflective of how she felt inside.
She wanted lingerie that matched her mindset: confident, stylish, still sexy.
Fans Can’t Get Enough
After Lakshmi posted her pink bikini look on Instagram, the internet responded with an avalanche of love. The comments were flooded with admiration for how she’s aging—and owning it.
“Golden goddess of the endless summer,” one follower wrote. Another called her “flawless,” while others praised her as an example of beauty without the filter of youth.
One fan hit the nail on the head: “Always thought sunsets were the most beautiful sight; now I realize they are 2nd.”
She captioned the post with a single sunshine emoji, letting the images do all the talking.
Short but sweet moment here.
The photos weren’t her first recent viral moment. Earlier this year, she posed for the 2025 Pirelli Calendar, embracing her body in a stripped-down and unapologetic way.
Turning Confidence Into Design
After struggling to find bras that fit her new body and her style, Lakshmi took matters into her own hands. In early 2024, she launched a lingerie line with Bare Necessities—her first fashion collaboration of this kind.
And it wasn’t just another celebrity vanity project.
She was hands-on with the collection, focused on making sexy, supportive pieces that work for women going through hormonal shifts, body changes, or just getting older.
“Women deserve lingerie that feels as good as it looks, even as their bodies change,” she told Page Six Style during the launch.
In the same interview, she said she feels “more confident now, physically and otherwise,” than she ever did in her 20s.
A Shift in How Aging is Viewed
Lakshmi’s take on aging is something many women find relatable—and refreshing. Especially when you consider how few public figures are this open about the physical changes that come with aging.
She’s not trying to rewind the clock. She’s not pretending she’s 25. She’s celebrating what she calls “the best version of me.”
In her words: “I don’t want to look like a 23-year-old, I want to look like the best version of me.”
She added that more women need to treat themselves with the kindness and patience they’d show a close friend:
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“Give yourself the empathy you would show your best girlfriend,” she said.
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“Show yourself the same grace you would afford to somebody you really love.”
It’s the kind of advice that hits home.
The New Norm in Midlife Visibility?
With more celebrities embracing age with authenticity—from Halle Berry to Paulina Porizkova—it feels like something’s shifting. And Padma’s clearly part of that momentum.
While she still has the model body that first made headlines decades ago, what’s making the biggest impression now isn’t her figure—it’s her fearlessness.
She isn’t just “still hot at 54.” She’s redefining what hot even means.
Here’s what makes her story stand out in the Hollywood landscape:
| Age | Public Statement | Body Shift | Project |
|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | “More confident now than ever.” | 34C → 36DD | Bare Necessities lingerie collection |
| 2025 | Bikini posts and Pirelli Calendar shoot | Perimenopause body changes | Taste the Nation Season 3 airing |
| All-time | Refusal to hide or “bounce back” | Natural aging | Ongoing advocacy for women’s self-love |
And sure, the bikini’s hot pink. But what’s even hotter? Owning your age without apology.
