The Nicki Thomas centerfold, photographed by the prolific Ken Honey, remains a favorite among collectors of vintage erotica for several reasons.
First, the setting: Honey shot Thomas in a rustic, woodland environment—logs, earthy tones, and natural light. This was a sharp departure from the indoor, studio-heavy shoots of the early 70s. Thomas is posed reclining against a large tree stump, wearing a floppy felt hat and a sheer, crocheted shawl. The aesthetic is deliberately "back-to-nature," echoing the environmental movement and the lingering boho chic of the era.
Second, her expression. Thomas does not leer at the camera. She smiles with a closed-lip, knowing smirk. Her eyes are half-lidded, suggesting intimacy rather than invitation. In the accompanying interview (the "Playmate Data Sheet" and "What Turns You On?" questionnaire), Thomas came across as literate and self-aware.
What happened to Nicki Thomas after her centerfold? This is where the narrative becomes deliberately quiet—and perhaps that is by her own design.
Unlike later Playmates who leveraged their centerfolds into television hosting gigs (Playboy After Dark) or B-movie careers, Thomas largely retreated from the limelight after her 13-month contract with the magazine ended. She fulfilled her promotional duties, appearing at the Playboy clubs in Chicago and New York, and making a cameo in a 1978 episode of The Love Boat (as a "model in a photo shoot").
By 1980, she had reportedly left Los Angeles entirely. According to limited public records and interviews given in the late 1990s to Playboy collectors’ magazines, she moved to Oregon, where she ran a small bed-and-breakfast and coached a local girls’ soccer team. She never married a rock star, never posed for a "where are they now?" nude layout, and never wrote a tell-all memoir.
In a 1995 interview (her last known public comment), she told a reporter: "For one month in 1977, I was the most looked-at woman in America. That’s a weird thing to have on your resume. But eventually, you have to go back to being the one who does the looking. I’d rather look at the ocean than have people look at me."
The March 1977 issue of Playboy featuring Nicki Thomas is currently a sought-after collector's item. On eBay and vintage magazine sites, pristine copies can fetch anywhere from $15 to $50, with signed copies (rare) going for significantly more.
Why does she endure? Because Nicki Thomas represents a specific, fleeting aesthetic: the unpretentious 70s beauty. She wasn't lacquered with 1980s hairspray or covered in Y2K body glitter. She was a woman sitting on a log in the California woods, comfortable in her skin.
For those researching the history of Playboy, the "March 1977" issue stands out as a transition point. The world would soon go crazy for Saturday Night Fever, but in March of that year, there was still a quiet, hazy, hippie-adjacent charm. Nicki Thomas was the perfect avatar for that moment. Nicki Thomas Playmate of the Month for March 1977
Unlike many modern influencers who document every meal on social media, Nicki Thomas arrived with an aura of mystery. She was born on September 16, 1953, in Los Angeles, California. At the time of her Playmate shoot, she was 23 years old—a relatively mature age for a debut Playmate, which added to her sophisticated, knowing look.
Before Playboy, Thomas worked as a model and makeup artist in Los Angeles. This dual career is crucial to understanding her centerfold. Knowing how lighting, contour, and shadow work from behind the camera gave her an edge in front of it. She wasn't just a subject; she understood the technical craft of creating an image.
Standing 5’4” with brown hair and hazel eyes, Thomas did not fit the towering Amazonian mold of some 70s models. She was compact, curvy (with measurements reported at 36-24-35), and radiated a quiet confidence. Her look was less "glamour queen" and more "the smart, cool girl you’d meet at a Laurel Canyon house party."
Born in 1954 in Houston, Texas, Nicki D. Thomas grew up under the hot, expansive skies of the Lone Star State. Unlike many models of the period who were discovered in New York or Los Angeles, Thomas represented a distinctly Southern breed of beauty: tall, sun-kissed, and disarmingly direct. Before ever setting foot in a Playboy studio, she was an avid sportswoman—a detail that would heavily influence her centerfold.
After finishing high school, Thomas moved to California, where she worked in an orthodontist’s office while dabbling in modeling. It was a far cry from the glitzy world of fashion runways. In a 1977 interview that accompanied her pictorial, she famously remarked that her previous job "straightening teeth" was ironically similar to modeling: "You spend a lot of time smiling, but you don’t say much."
Her discovery by Playboy came through a chance meeting with a staff scout at a health club in Los Angeles. At the time, the magazine was actively seeking women who embodied the "California girl" spirit—tan, fit, and uninhibited. Nicki, with her 5’6" frame, naturally blonde hair, blue eyes, and athletic build (34-24-34), was the perfect candidate.
Here is where the story of Nicki Thomas diverges from the typical Playboy trajectory. Unlike many Playmates who leveraged their centerfold into acting gigs (movies, TV guest spots, game shows), Thomas largely vanished from the public eye after 1977.
Searching historical databases yields very little. She is not listed as having a major filmography. She did not pose for Penthouse or Oui. It appears that Nicki Thomas returned to her life as a makeup artist and model in Los Angeles, possibly marrying and changing her surname.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Playboy re-released vintage Playmate videos, and Thomas’s pictorial was featured in several "Playboy: The 70s" compilation DVDs. However, unlike her contemporaries (e.g., Sondra Theodore, the 1977 Playmate of the Year), Thomas never participated in reunion interviews or autograph signings. The Nicki Thomas centerfold, photographed by the prolific
Several collector forums speculate that she intentionally left the industry. In a 2019 retrospective on vintage Playmates, one writer noted: "Nicki Thomas is the ghost of March 1977. Beautiful, present for thirty days, and then gone. You get the feeling she was never chasing fame; she was chasing a paycheck and a unique experience. Then she got on with her life."
If you are looking to view the work of Nicki Thomas, Playmate of the Month for March 1977:
Playboy Magazine Archives Report
Playmate of the Month: Nicki Thomas Issue: March 1977
Playmate Details:
Career and Modeling Background: Nicki Thomas was an American model who gained prominence after being selected as Playboy's Playmate of the Month for March 1977. Her feature in Playboy marked a significant highlight in her modeling career, exposing her to a wider audience.
Post-Playboy Career: Following her appearance in Playboy, Thomas continued to model and made appearances in various media outlets. However, detailed information about her long-term career trajectory and personal life after her Playboy feature is limited.
Legacy: Nicki Thomas's feature in Playboy reflects the era's modeling and media landscape. Playboy, under Hugh Hefner's vision, provided a platform for models to gain exposure and fame. Thomas's selection as Playmate of the Month for March 1977 places her among a lineage of models who have used such platforms to advance their careers.
Sources: The information provided is sourced from Playboy Magazine archives and public databases. For more detailed or updated information, direct reference to the March 1977 issue of Playboy or official biographies (if available) would be necessary. Career and Modeling Background: Nicki Thomas was an
Disclaimer: Given the date and nature of the content, this report aims to provide factual information based on historical data. Personal details and career trajectories of individuals from that era might not be extensively documented or easily accessible.
The story of Nicki Thomas , the March 1977 Playboy Playmate of the Month, is a classic example of the "girl next door" archetype that defined the magazine’s golden era. While her time in the spotlight was brief, it captures a specific moment in American pop culture history. The Face of March 1977 Nancy Elizabeth Tritt
on March 22, 1954, in Berwyn, Illinois, she adopted the stage name Nicki Thomas for her modeling career. Her appearance in the March 1977 issue of
was a significant milestone, as she was featured alongside cultural icons like Susan Kiger (the cover model) and articles featuring Pat Moynihan and Lillian Muller. Her centerfold was captured by legendary photographer Pompeo Posar
, who was responsible for some of the magazine's most famous imagery throughout the 1970s. Posar’s style often emphasized a soft, natural aesthetic that complemented Thomas’s 5'5" frame and approachable charm. A Glimpse into the Era
The March 1977 issue reflected a turning point in the 1970s, a year that also saw the rise of punk rock and the release of
. For collectors, this specific issue remains a sought-after piece of memorabilia. You can often find vintage copies of the March 1977 Playboy on platforms like
, where it is valued for its "nostalgic appeal" and its snapshot of 1970s fashion, art, and lifestyle. Life After the Spotlight
Unlike some of her peers who pursued long-term careers in Hollywood, Thomas (as Nicki E. Rossine) largely stepped away from the public eye. She married Anthony Rossine and had two children, Michael Anthony and Marissa Nicole. She spent her later years in Kentucky before passing away on September 2, 2009, at the age of 55.
Though her modeling career was short, her legacy lives on through the lens of Pompeo Posar and the pages of a magazine that, for one month in 1977, made a young woman from Illinois a household name.