#7 - Alicia Rickter

In the mid 1990's, the ultimate Playmate movement was on: a shift into better, more vibrant times, with a clear departure from 80's style Playmates with all their flash and pomp, and into an era of refined women with hard bodies and convincing attitudes. These new girls were at the pinnacle of nude posing because they learned to use their sense of emotion and sexual demeanors to convey ideas, not just pictures, to the minds of the audience. One of these influential Playmates of the 90's was our number 9, Alicia Rickter, Miss October 1995. She was a start of a new generation of Playmates, as could be seen from the shift in thinking with a 1995 class including Danelle Folta, Cindy Brown, the classic Rhonda Adams, Rachel Jean Marteen, and Donna D'Erico. But it was Alicia who cemented herself among all of them as a timeless classic, and one whose stylistic qualities and techniques are still followed today, 13 years later.

Yes, it's been 13 years since the dawn of the modern Playmate, and that all started with Miss Rickter, the otherworldly 5'8" brunette Californian model whose impact was one for the ages. Alicia was someone who truly transformed the art of being a Playmate -- not since Kelly Gallagher had such a fine brunette taken the stage. Alicia's style is immaculate and one that is unable to be reproduced: she was vastly expressive, speaking words with every move and every look. Her photogenic appeal was undeniable - she hit poses and had shots taken that go down as some of the greatest in history. Best of all, Alicia was one of the most quintessential "girl-next-door" Playmates of all-time, which is a staple of the Playboy moniker. It is one of the prime reasons people turn to the magazine, to see girls whose artistry might give hope to the same sort of inspiration in any attractive woman on the street. Alicia looked like your average Jill, but moved and expressed herself like only an experienced supermodel can. And the results were dramatic.

Perusing Alicia's collection is not like looking through a small collection, it's like looking through a variety of scenes and moods. This girl has depth that can be really appreciated by looking at what she has to offer. Her slinky, spunky nature shot well in photos like this one, which has her dark lingerie contrasting her light skin, for a shot filled with sexual attitude. Alicia's famed pictorial, "The Librarian," is one of the classics of Playboy lore, and it starts out with this fantastic photo. Each layer of her clothing falls off, and it peels back to a sexual fantasy like no other. As she leans back and makes it more interesting, Alicia's body works perfectly with the natural lighting. Fully nude behind a stack of books, the lighting is intensified here to show her beautiful skin. As we look to another similar pictorial style, Alicia's costume in her schoolgirl photos is sexy, like in this shot, where her innocence is palpable, but only skin deep. Alicia's greatest weapon was knowing how to blend maturity and true innocence into one fantastical package, like here, where her modest clothing gives way to a spectacular body. As "The Librarian" progresses, Pic 29 shows Alicia in a slightly edgier place, showing off her body with little in the way, and exposing the true edginess of her underlying style.

What come next are some of the great photos in Playboy history, shot from behind a bookshelf and cleverly lit to show off Alicia's amazing curves, and enhance her otherwise slim body into something that only a goddess could show. Pic 32 shows Alicia stripping away the rest of her lacy lingerie, and the SPECTACULAR Photo #33 is a testament to her amazing production value. Here, her buttocks are lit perfectly and her truly feminine profile is a sight to behold. The next photo delves further into the devilish sexuality Alicia exudes so well, shooting a stare from behind the books.

Other gorgeous photos of Alicia that make her one of the greatest of all-time are this one (an innocent and sexually reticent photo that really summarizes her posing style), this one from behind (very suggestive and subtle at the same time), and this angelic side shot (a great photo of Alicia's complex face and amazing, large eyes).

Take some time to understand Alicia and browse her numerous photos. You'll immediately understand why she's ranked as our #7 Greatest Playmate of All-Time. Alicia was an amazing talent with plenty to offer. Her body was not that of a buxom bombshell, but it was modest and sexy. Her style wasn't over-the-top and flashy, but she kept it down to basics and offered artistry and beauty with every single picture. She took posing in Playboy to new heights, and many of the photos in her amazing collection might as well be in Playboy's photography hall-of-fame. That's how good she was.

So, a classic enters the top-10, but there's still four to go before we find out who the top three are, and that's something you want to stay tuned to see for yourself.