Nicki Thomas Playmate Of The Month For March: 1977
Nicki Thomas was featured as the Playmate of the Month for the March 1977 issue. Profile and Background Real Name: Nancy Elizabeth Tritt. March 22, 1954, in Berwyn, Illinois.
She passed away on September 2, 2009, in Edgewood, Kentucky, at the age of 55.
She married Anthony Rossine and had two children, Michael Anthony and Marissa Nicole. Playboy Career Highlights March 1977 (Volume 24, Number 3). Photography:
Her centerfold pictorial was shot by legendary Playboy photographer Pompeo Posar Magazine Features: The issue she appeared in also included an interview with Senator Pat Moynihan and fiction by renowned authors Henry Miller Paul Theroux Playboy Magazine March 1977 v24 #3 Nicki Thomas LIKE NEW
I can create a post about Nicki Thomas, the Playmate of the Month for March 1977.
Throwback to 1977: Celebrating Nicki Thomas, Playboy's Playmate of the Month for March
In March 1977, Playboy magazine featured a stunning model as its Playmate of the Month. Nicki Thomas, a beautiful and charming individual, was showcased in a spread that highlighted her captivating looks and charismatic presence.
About Nicki Thomas
Nicki Thomas was born on June 4, 1954. Before becoming a Playboy Playmate, Thomas worked as a model and appeared in various fashion magazines and runway shows. Her Playboy feature, photographed by Richard McNeil, was a significant milestone in her modeling career.
The Playboy Feature
The March 1977 issue of Playboy showcased Nicki Thomas in a variety of poses, highlighting her natural beauty and playful personality. The photo shoot took place in Miami, Florida, and featured Thomas in a range of settings, from beachside scenes to more playful, indoor settings.
In her centerfold, Thomas was seen sporting a bright smile and an effortless, laid-back style. Her blonde hair and blue eyes made her a stunning addition to the magazine's iconic Playmate of the Month feature.
Legacy and Impact
Nicki Thomas's feature in Playboy marked an exciting moment in her career, and she remains a beloved Playmate among collectors and enthusiasts. While her modeling career continued after her Playboy appearance, Thomas eventually stepped back from the spotlight, pursuing other interests and enjoying a private life.
Remembering a Legendary Playmate
Today, we celebrate Nicki Thomas's enduring legacy as Playboy's March 1977 Playmate of the Month. Her captivating beauty and charming personality continue to delight fans of the iconic magazine, and her feature remains a cherished moment in Playboy history.
If you're a collector or simply a fan of classic Playboy, Nicki Thomas's feature is definitely worth checking out. Her charm, beauty, and charisma make her a standout Playmate, and her legacy continues to inspire new generations of models and fans alike.
The Making of a Playmate: From Houston to Hollywood
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." Nicki Thomas Playmate of the Month for March 1977
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.
Historical Context: Why 1977 Matters
To appreciate Nicki Thomas, one must understand the world of March 1977.
- President: Jimmy Carter had just been inaugurated. The hangover of Watergate was fading, but the optimism of the 70s was tinged with malaise.
- Pop Culture: Star Wars would not premiere for another two months. The number one song was "Love Theme from A Star is Born" by Barbra Streisand. Television was dominated by Happy Days and Charlie’s Angels.
- Playboy Itself: Founder Hugh Hefner was 50 years old and increasingly living in seclusion at the Los Angeles mansion. The magazine was facing fierce competition from Penthouse and Oui. Consequently, Playboy in 1977 began pivoting toward more natural body types and less "airbrushed fantasy" to regain a sense of credibility.
Nicki Thomas represented that pivot. She wasn't a silicone-enhanced centerfold; she was a real woman with a few freckles, a visible tan line, and thighs that looked like they had actually hiked a mountain. She was, as the magazine boasted, "The Un-Playboy Playmate."
The March 1977 Pictorial: "The Great Indoors/Outdoors"
Photographer Dwight Hooker was a master of the Playboy style. Unlike other photographers who relied on heavy studio lighting and elaborate sets, Hooker preferred to shoot in natural environments. For Nicki Thomas’s spread, titled "Nicki: A New Natural High," he utilized two distinct settings that mirrored the cultural push-pull of the era.
The Indoor Shots: Shot in a rustic, wood-paneled cabin (presumably at the Playboy Mansion or a rented lodge in the San Fernando Valley), Thomas is pictured lounging on a bearskin rug in front of a roaring fire. In one iconic image, she wears a pair of worn Levi’s jeans and a half-unbuttoned flannel shirt, her blonde hair slightly disheveled. The image is raw, tactile, and devoid of the glittery excess of 1975.
The Outdoor Shots: The second half of the spread moves to a sun-drenched mountain stream. Here, Thomas is nude, wading through crystal-clear water, her body glistening. This was Playboy’s "back to nature" motif at its peak. Her smile in these photos is not a sultry pout but a genuine, toothy grin. She looks less like a model and more like a woman who simply happened to be caught skinny-dipping on a perfect spring day.
The centerfold itself (a two-page, fold-out gatefold) is a study in relaxed confidence. Thomas lies on her stomach, propped up on one elbow, looking directly into the camera with an expression that suggests amused curiosity rather than feigned passion. Her blond hair cascades over one shoulder, and the only "prop" is a simple leather wristband.
The Playmate Data Sheet & Interview
As was tradition, the March 1977 issue included a "Playmate Data Sheet" and a Q&A. These personal details have become historical snapshots for collectors and researchers.
- Turn-ons: "Honesty, the smell of rain on hot pavement, morning sex, and chili dogs."
- Turn-offs: "Men who wear too much cologne, people who are rude to waiters, and watching the news."
- Fantasy: "To be the first female shortstop for the Houston Astros."
- Lifestyle: Unlike many Playmates who claimed to be aspiring actresses, Thomas stated that her immediate goal was to finish earning her degree in physical education. She wanted to coach high school basketball.
Her interview revealed a woman decades ahead of the sexual politics of the time. When asked if she felt exploited by posing nude, she gave a classic 1977 response: "Exploited? I’m getting paid $2,000 and I get to keep the clothes and the boots. The guy who changes the oil in my car is exploited. I just took my clothes off. It’s not brain surgery." Nicki Thomas was featured as the Playmate of
Legacy: Why 1977 Matters
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.
The Aftermath: What Happened to Nicki Thomas?
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.
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."
Nicki Thomas: The March 1977 Playmate Who Defined an Era of Transition
In the sprawling history of Playboy magazine, each decade brought a distinct archetype of beauty. The 1950s had the wholesome girl-next-door (Janet Pilgrim). The 1960s introduced the jet-setting mod model (Britt Freda, Kara Knack). By the mid-to-late 1970s, the magazine was navigating a fascinating cultural shift—moving away from the overtly airbrushed, heavily styled glamour of the early 70s toward a more natural, athletic, and, in many ways, more authentic aesthetic.
It is precisely at this crossroads that Nicki Thomas appears. Crowned the Playmate of the Month for March 1977, Thomas remains one of the more intriguing, though often overlooked, figures from the magazine’s golden era. Her pictorial, shot by veteran photographer Dwight Hooker, captured a woman who was not a fragile flower nor a disposable pinup, but a confident, athletic, and strikingly natural young woman who looked like she could beat you in a game of tennis and then discuss philosophy over a drink. The Making of a Playmate: From Houston to