Exhibit 5.1



                        Opinion of Ira M. Dansky, Esq.



                                                                 April 3, 2001



Securities and Exchange Commission
Judiciary Plaza
450 Fifth Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20549


                     Registration Statement on Form S-3
                     ----------------------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen:

          I am General Counsel of Jones Apparel Group, Inc., a Pennsylvania
corporation (the "Company"), and in such capacity, I have represented the
Company and its subsidiaries, Jones Apparel Group Holdings, Inc., a
Delaware corporation ("Jones Holdings"), Jones Apparel Group USA, Inc., a
Pennsylvania corporation ("Jones USA"), and Nine West Group Inc., a
Delaware corporation ("Nine West" and, together with the Company, Jones
Holdings and Jones USA, the "Issuers"), in connection with the preparation
of a registration statement on Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement"),
being filed by the Issuers with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"),
relating to the registration under the Act of up to $805,645,000 principal
amount at maturity of the Issuers' Zero Coupon Convertible Senior Notes due
2021 (the "Notes") and the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion
of the Notes (the "Shares") for the benefit of the selling securityholders.
The Notes were issued under an Indenture dated February 1, 2001 (the
"Indenture"), between the Issuers and The Bank of New York, as trustee.

          In that connection, I have examined the 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 (i) the Articles or
Certificate of Incorporation of each Issuer, as amended or restated; (ii)
the Bylaws of each Issuer, as amended or restated; (iii) the Indenture;
(iv) the Registration Statement; and (v) corporate proceedings relating to
the authorization of the Notes and the Shares.

          In such review, I have assumed the genuineness of all signatures,
the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of all
documents submitted to me as originals and the conformity to the originals
of all documents submitted as copies and the authenticity of the originals
of such copies.

          Based on the foregoing, and subject to the further assumptions
and qualifications set forth below, it is my opinion that:

          1. The execution and delivery by the Issuers of the Notes and the
performance by the Issuers of their obligations thereunder have been duly
authorized by all requisite corporate action on the part of the Issuers.

          2. The Notes constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of
the Issuers enforceable against such Issuers in accordance with their
terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium, fraudulent transfer and other similar laws affecting creditors'
rights generally from time to time in effect and to general principles of
equity (including, without limitation, concepts of materiality,
reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing), regardless of whether
considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.


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          3. The Shares reserved for initial issuance upon the conversion
of the Notes have been duly and validly authorized and reserved and, when
issued upon conversion in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, will
be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and the issuance of such
Shares will not be subject to any preemptive or other similar rights.

          In rendering this opinion, I have relied upon the opinion dated
April 3, 2001, 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 am admitted to practice in the State of New York, and I express
no opinion as to any matters governed by any laws other than the laws of
the State of New York, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware
and the Federal laws of the United States of America.

          I hereby consent to the use of my opinion as herein set forth as
an Exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the use of my name under
the caption "Legal Matters" in the prospectus forming part of the
Registration Statement.


                                        Very truly yours,


                                        /s/ Ira M. Dansky
                                            Ira M. Dansky
                                            General Counsel



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