Cheryl Tiegs was born in Minnesota, but raised in California, where she graduated from Alhambra High School in 1965. She also attended the California State University, Los Angeles and became a little sister to the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

On the advice of a friend, the teenaged Cheryl Tiegs auditioned for and was cast in a handful of television commercials. By the time she was 17 years old, she appeared on the cover of Glamour magazine. After initially struggling to find work, Tiegs' eventually landed photo shoots with high profile magazines like Vogue and Elle. Other covers followed, including Harper's Bazaar and Time.

However, it was the 1978 swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated that changed her career. The now-famous photograph, which featured Tiegs in a seemingly innocent white swimsuit, epitomized her perfect combination of girl-next-door innocence and innate sexuality. The Sports Illustrated feature lead to a wealth of opportunities, including the cover of Time magazine and a $1.5 million contract with Cover Girl cosmetics. The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue featured her on the cover in 1970, 1975, and 1983. The 1978 poster of her in a pink bikini became an iconic 1970s pop culture image.

In 1980, Tiegs published The Way to Natural Beauty and began using her name and knowledge of fashion to create signature designs for Sears, Roebuck and Co. Within a year, the Cheryl Tiegs casual sportswear line was sold at over 700 stores nationwide and accounted for an estimated $100 million in revenue. Considered one of the pioneers of celebrity-endorsed apparel and credited with bringing sex appeal to the 100-year-old chain, Tiegs was featured on the cover of Time magazine for a second time in 1984.

Tiegs' clothing line was discontinued in 1989, at which time she signed on as the spokesperson for Light 'n' Lively yogurt. In 1995, 47-year-old Tiegs made a very visible comeback when she posed for her fourth Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Recently, she reentered the fashion business with a new line of women’s wear (sold exclusively on QVC), as well as a line of wigs and hair accessories for Revlon Cosmetics. In November 2000, at a gala at the Beverly Wilshire, Tiegs was honored as the first MAC Fashion Icon, a fitting tribute to the all-American girl who became the first American supermodel.