70s Cheryl Tiegs and the Virginia Slims Tennis Sweater

The 1976 Virginia Slims Tennis Sweater. Model: Cheryl Tiegs

This is a Virginia Slims cigarette ad from 1976, featuring model Cheryl Tiegs modeling the ‘tennis, golf, visit Aunt Martha, stroll-in-the-park sweater’. It’s interesting to note that in the 1970s smoking was still considered rather benign and socially acceptable. Case in point: here we have the healthy All-American model Cheryl posing with a cigarette and happily grinning. Virginia Slims, which was marketed for women, capitalized on the slimmer and longer cigarette as a contrast to men’s cigarettes.

The tennis sweater was made of 100% acrylic and was completely machine washable (very handy when getting rid of smoke stench). It was embroidered with a tennis racquet-wielding flapper lady and their slogan. “You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby”. Available for $9.00 and two pack bottoms from Virginia Slims Regular or Menthol.

I have seen these tennis sweaters go for a pretty penny on eBay. My guess is that they are rather rare, considering the rigamarole you had to go through to buy it!

~Marilyn