Kate Upton Gets Patriotic For GQ July 2012 Cover, Talks Career And An ?Exciting? Wardrobe Malfunction [PHOTOS]

Kate Upton got a patriotic makeover for the July 2012 cover and feature story for GQ, where the blonde bombshell spoke about her career highlights, namely one exciting wardrobe malfunction, since she exploded onto the modeling scene.

It's like any job, Upton told GQ. You find your strengths and play them up.

And it's not difficult for Upton to find her strengths. According to GQ, the 20-year-old model boils down her recipe to success in seven easy steps, which GQ called the Seven Habits of Highly Effective Internet Bombshells. Upton successfully stormed the Internet in April 2011, when she recorded a video of herself doing the Dougie at a Clippers game. The video went viral on YouTube, followed by her infamous Cat Daddy dance, which was removed from the website.

Both of those videos, in addition to her appearances in ads for Carl's Jr., Zoo York and in the movie The Three Stooges, danced on the fine line of controversy which helped skyrocket Upton to fame.

Add in her flirtations with NFL quarterbacks Tim Tebow and Mark Sanchez, and her perfect formula for marketing through her 370,000 Twitter followers by endorsing products, and Kate Upton is a sensation.

Best yet, GQ writes, Upton uses her backstory to combine sexiness and naïveté in a way that somehow makes ogling them seem like the most innocent thing in the world. Born in Michigan and raised in Florida, Upton was an accomplished equestrian with a high school athletic director for a father and housewife for a mother.

I grew up in Florida riding horses, so for the majority of my life I was either in boots and jeans or a bathing suit, Upton admitted. I understand why my male followers like me.

This is all before Upton was discovered by a modeling scout. In 2008, Upton attended an open-call in Miami and, at just 16-years-old, was signed by Elite Model Management that very same day. Elite also represents Gisele and Kate Moss.

Since Kate Upton landed the Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover, she has endorsed tons of products and appeared on Saturday Night Live. These accomplishments over a 15-month period aren't her most exciting, however, according to Upton.

For the GQ photo shoot, we were on that ride where the seat spins while the actual ride is spinning, and I'm wearing a one-piece, Upton told the magazine. And all of a sudden the whole entire top falls off! I'm holding myself, laughing, turning bright red, but a lot of people are watching, so they kicked us out of the Santa Monica Pier -- it was so embarrassing.

What exactly is so exciting there, you may wonder. Kate Upton had the answer.

You wouldn't think that would happen with a one-piece, Upton said.

View the slideshow to see photos of Kate Upton along with her July 2012 GQ cover.