EXHIBIT 5.1

JONES APPAREL GROUP, INC.

September 27, 2000

Securities and Exchange Commission
Judiciary Plaza
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20549

Jones Apparel Group
Registration Statement on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

    I am General Counsel of Jones Apparel Group, a Pennsylvania corporation (the "Company"), and in such capacity, I have represented the Company in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Amendment No. 1 to a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement") under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act") relating to the registration under the Act of the offering of an aggregate 457,071 shares of the Company’s common stock, $.01 par value per share (the "Common Stock"), for the benefit of the selling shareholder (the "Selling Shareholder").

    In that connection, I have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to my satisfaction, of such documents, corporate records and other instruments as I have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this opinion, including: (a) the Registration Statement and (b) the related Prospectus (together with the documents incorporated therein by reference, the "Prospectus").

    Based on the foregoing and subject to the qualifications hereinafter set forth, I am of the opinion as follows:

1. The Company is a corporation duly organized and validly subsisting under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

2. The shares of Common Stock to be sold by the Selling Shareholder are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

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Securities and Exchange Commission
September 27, 2000
Page 2

    I am admitted to practice in the State of New York, and I express no opinion as to any matters governed by any law other than the laws of the State of New York and the Federal laws of the United States of America.

    In rendering this opinion, I have relied upon the opinion dated September 28, 2000 of Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis LLP, a copy of which appears as Exhibit 5.2 to the Registration Statement, as to all matters of law covered therein relating to the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

    I hereby consent to the reference to me under the heading "Legal Matters" in the Prospectus and to the filing of this opinion as an Exhibit to the Registration Statement.