EXHIBIT 5.2




                                                                    May 12, 1999




Ira M. Dansky, Esq.
Jones Apparel Group, Inc.
1411 Broadway
New York, NY 10018

                  Re:  Jones Apparel Group, Inc. Registration 
                       Statement on Form S-4


Dear Mr. Dansky:

         As special Pennsylvania counsel to Jones Apparel Group, Inc.,
a Pennsylvania corporation (the "Company"), we have been requested to render
this opinion in connection with the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-4
(the "Registration Statement"), which is being filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on May 12, 1999, under the Securities Act of
1933 (the "Act").

         The Registration Statement relates to the proposed issuance by Jones of
up to 24,426,396 shares (the "Shares") of its common stock, par value $0.01 per
share, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement")
dated as of March 1, 1999 among Jones, Jill Acquisition Sub Inc., a Delaware
corporation that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jones ("Merger Sub"), and Nine
West Group Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Nine West"). The Merger Agreement
provides for the merger (the "Merger") of Nine West with and into Merger Sub,
with Merger Sub surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of Jones.

         For purposes of this opinion we have examined the Registration
Statement; the Consent of the Board of Directors of the Company dated March 1,
1999; the Proxy Statement/Prospectus that forms a part of the Registration
Statement; the Subsistence Certificate dated May 6, 1999 issued by the 
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with respect to the Company;
and such other documents as we deem necessary for the purpose of rendering
this opinion. With respect to the foregoing documents, we have assumed the
genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted
to us as originals and the conformity to originals of all documents submitted
to us as certified or reproduced copies.








                                                                               2

         As special Pennsylvania counsel to the Company, we are not necessarily
familiar with all of the Company's affairs. As a further basis for this opinion,
we have made such inquiry of the Company as we have deemed necessary or
appropriate for the purpose of rendering this opinion.

         Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Company is a
corporation duly organized and validly subsisting under the laws of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and that the Shares have been duly authorized
for issuance, and when issued in accordance with the terms and conditions of
the Merger Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

         We are attorneys admitted to the Bar in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, and we express no opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction,
other than the corporate laws of the State of Delaware and the United States of
America. Our examination of law relevant to the matters covered by this opinion
is limited to Federal law, Pennsylvania law and Delaware corporate law.

         The opinion is given as of the date hereof and is limited to the facts,
circumstances and matters set forth herein and to laws currently in effect. No
opinion may be inferred or is implied beyond matters expressly set forth herein,
and we do not undertake and assume no obligation to update or supplement this
opinion to reflect any facts or circumstances which may hereafter come to our
attention or any change in law which may hereafter occur.

         This opinion is furnished for your benefit only and may not be used or
relied upon by any other person or entity or in connection with any other
transaction without our prior written consent.

         We hereby consent to the reference to this Firm under the heading
"Legal Matters" in the Registration Statement and in the related Prospectus and
to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.

                                   Sincerely,
  
                                   /s/ Mesirov Gelman Jaffe Cramer Jamieson, LLP