Cheryl Tiegs Had A Sweet Bonding Moment With This '70s Icon During Her First Modeling Gig

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Cheryl Tiegs didn't attain supermodel status by accident. Her career has been a series of strategic steps, perseverance, and learning from the people around her. Tiegs started modeling as a teen, and when she realized that other agencies might have better opportunities, she shopped around for better representation. This was a shrewd move, and in the late 1960s Tiegs attracted the notice of Glamour magazine. It was a dream offer, and Tiegs dropped everything to travel to the Virgin Islands. Unfortunately, it was also an extremely limited-time offer, and Tiegs only had three hours to prepare. "I did what you do when you pack half in shock — I packed all the wrong things," Tiegs recalled in her book "The Way to Natural Beauty."

Lucky for Tiegs, her wardrobe shortfall paved the way for camaraderie with Ali MacGraw, who was hired for the same job. Both Tiegs and MacGraw were just a few years away from mega stardom: MacGraw for the 1970 film "Love Story," and Tiegs for becoming the most popular supermodel in 1972.

Since Tiegs hadn't packed weather-appropriate clothing, MacGraw generously lent her an outfit. Tiegs was delighted with MacGraw's sense of style, and they bonded while shopping. "She'd say, 'Try this on, try that on.' If it wasn't for her, I only would've had a long-sleeve yellow dress," Tiegs informed Naples Daily News in 2014. Tiegs not only scored her first of many Glamour covers from this job, but she and MacGraw looked fabulous in coordinating striped 'fits inside the issue.

In contrast to Cheryl Tiegs, Ali MacGraw was well-established in the modeling world by the time the Glamour shoot occurred. MacGraw was familiar with all the ins and outs of the job, since she had experience both by working behind the scenes and in front of the camera. She also had a reputation for friendliness. Nina Blanchard, who ran the modeling agency responsible for Tiegs' success, had an experience with MacGraw that mirrored Tiegs' situation in the Virgin Islands. Blanchard first met MacGraw on a trip to New York, and her welcoming demeanor caused them to form a lasting bond. "She was precious to me, couldn't have been nicer. Ali and I have stayed friends since then," Blanchard remarked to The Los Angeles Times in 1995.

After they worked together for Glamour, Tiegs and MacGraw did a commercial for a home styling product called Scatter Perm. While it's unknown how much they kept in touch between gigs, MacGraw unexpectedly influenced Tiegs' style again when they were out and about in California. While Tiegs opted for jeans and a sweatshirt, MacGraw was wearing a polished, color-coordinated look. "By observing Ali, I learned that it was just as easy to put on an attractive casual outfit as it was to put on my sloppy clothes and dust-furred sneakers," Tiegs recounted in "The Way to Natural Beauty." The fashion lessons appear to have had lasting influence. America's first supermodel Cheryl Tiegs looks amazing in her 70s, and McGraw is still rocking red carpets in her 80s.