Was Marilyn Monroe REALLY a size 12? (or 16)

[Vintage Suits by Mary]

Yes she was! However, sizing in the garment industry has changed radically since the 1950s. Marilyn Monroe's measurements were:

Height: 5 feet, 5½ inches
Weight: 118 pounds
Bust: 35inches
Waist: 22inches
Hips: 35inches

That is similar to about a size 4 today. Even near the end of her career, when she was "fat", her measurements were

Bust:37 inches
Waist: 23 inches
Hips: 36 inches

Still pretty tiny!

Even Lucille Ball was a "perfect size 12" according to her studio publicity department. Her measurements were even smaller than Marilyn's.

So, when you are out shopping for vintage, don't be horrified that you can only fit into a 14 or 16. It doesn't mean you are fat, it only means that sizes are different than they were back in the day.

Also, one of the reasons that there is almost no plus size vintage is that there were almost no plus size people back then. Widespread obesity is a very recent phenomenon and was practically unheard of until the late 70s.

[californiafied]

Regardless of her size, I think she was just groooovy!!!

[Bodacious Betty {★}]

Marilyn was boasted measurement of 35-22-35 at one time. That's a size 2 by today's standard. Hardly plus size. I myself am a size 6; the smallest "plus" size model I have seen was about a size 8.

RoPo said:

Marilyn Monroe was not a modern sized 12, but I think the assumptions that she wouldn't be plus sized by today's standards are false. Anything as small as a size 6 today can be considered "plus", unfortunately, though most plus designs start at an 8 or 10. My measurements are generally 36D-25-39 and i have personally been encouraged to go into plus size modeling. Obviously, Marilyn had more extraordinary measurements, but based on those pictures, in the fashion industry, I do believe there's a good chance some would consider her "plus sized" as insane and unfortunate as it is. I think most plus sized models today don't look like what most peoples' idea of plus is anyway, and they're always super gorgeous even when they do.

But I don't think you or anyone should really worry about comparing themselves to 50s Hollywood standards. As others mentioned before, they all wore gurdles and corsets a lot of the time, which can change your shape surprisingly quickly if you wear them for enough consecutive hours. I had a series of shoots I was doing in corsets for a few weeks straight, and I was probably wearing steel boned corsets anywhere from 4-10 hours a day at least 3 days a week, and I actually noticed a slight difference in that time. 

Corsetting is fine if you do it safely and correctly, but honestly, corsetting for real seems like a HUGE comittment and it might not be worth the discomfort. You can always just wear a corset and tons of boob padding for a shoot. Since I started modeling more, I've come to realize just how fake most of it is. It's all fake hair, fake boobs, fake lips, fake eyelashes, fake waistline--you can often drastically change the shape of someone's facial features and body with just the right makeup and posing. But I don't think there's anything wrong with that in pinup. Pinup is about having fun and creating a fun, flirty, glamorous image, so it doesn't matter if it's all fake and temporary as long as the shot comes out how you want it. And after it's all done, you can take all that stuff off and be your gorgeous self :)

[SNJ Studio]

I knew it! Finally someone else to back me up!! Either way, she was beautiful and an icon.

[Betty Kitt]

I always hear that Marylin was a real woman with a lot of curves and not thin, normal, and I think she is very cute. :)

[Betty Kitt]

 

BEFORE ANOREXI AND PLASTIC SURGERY THERE WAS SOMETHING CALLED SEXY

[Ashley Lindroth]

Thank you for posting this! It's true and I hate when people use her "size" to justify their own. I'm a 4/6 in today's sizes and her waist is smaller than mine! That's definitely not plus size.

[Cupcake Terror]

Great photos! :)

Ashley Lindroth said:

Thank you for posting this! It's true and I hate when people use her "size" to justify their own. I'm a 4/6 in today's sizes and her waist is smaller than mine! That's definitely not plus size.

[Betty Kitt]

I agree it doesn't mater if you do size X or Y, I think that the most important thing is to feel good with you body, to feel sexy ! If you feel sexy abou youself what people say doesn't mater. Just feel sexy because we are all beautiful and like us there is only one.

Ashley Lindroth said:

Thank you for posting this! It's true and I hate when people use her "size" to justify their own. I'm a 4/6 in today's sizes and her waist is smaller than mine! That's definitely not plus size.

[steven harp]

She does not appear to be plus size to me

[Sleepwalking Elephant Slayer]

I think this article should clear up any misconceptions about Marilyn's size : http://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/mmdress.asp

[Trollolololol]

She does not appear to be Marilyn to me XD
steven harp said:

She does not appear to be plus size to me

 

FTFY

[Brittany]

I really like this discussion. I think weight and measurements can be a very sensitive topic for a lot of girls... All of us wanting to look like something we're not (unless you can afford lots of plastic surgery!)

I have struggled with this time and time again. When I was younger, I was more into fashion modeling, which meant crash diets, HOURS of painful workouts, and not eating to maintain a stick-thin figure. BLEH. And, now I want almost the opposite!! :( 

It is just comforting to know now that even though there is no amount of pasta and potatoes to make me gain weight (trust me, I try ALL the time!) that those women we look up to wore girdles, corsets, etc... and that I'm not the only one who is trying to create the illusion of those extreme hour-glass figures. We can't all be born with dangerous curves, but we can always get a little help from Frederick's or Victoria's. ;)