ORANGE NYLON LINGERIE SET

1972-75​
Medium: Chiffon, rhinestones, feathers ​
Gift of Marge Padgitt​

From 1972 to 1975, Rogers acted as fashion consultant for J.C. Penney, designing clothes and lingerie under the label “Ginger Rogers for J.C. Penney.” Rogers hand-picked clothes for the mail-order catalog and traveled around the states to help women find affordable but fashionable clothing options. Of particular interest was lingerie. As she noted in her 1991 autobiography, J.C. Penney executives chose her as their representative due to her fashion knowledge and because they believed her famous legs would help the company sell pantyhose. “Her movie wardrobes in 70s films have come from the top theatrical designers and her private clothes from Parisians such as Grès, Saint Laurent and Givenchy. She will criss-cross the country with a 20-piece wardrobe, mostly red – ‘I adore red, I hate flower prints.’” Taylor, Angela.

Ginger Rogers – A Job in Fashion, “New York Times,” April 25, 1972, pg 48.
Ginger Rogers for JC Penney Advertisement (1973)​