The image of Marilyn Monroe continues to captivate audiences to this day. As a sex symbol of the 20th century, her body was the envy of many women.
However, there is an ongoing debate about whether she would fit into modern beauty standards.
One way to understand this is by investigating the clothing size that Monroe actually wore.
Though her career was relatively short, as she passed away at the age of 36, there are still many films, photographs, and amateur shots of the actress that are being studied in order to answer the question of what size she wore.
Some publications have stated that she wore a size 14, which roughly corresponds to a size 52-54 or L/XL in modern measurements.
However, actress Elizabeth Hurley has referred to Monroe as “fat” based on seeing her dresses at an exhibition.
The confusion surrounding Monroe’s clothing size arises from the fact that dimensional grids in the 1950s were vastly different from those of today.
For example, a modern “zero” size corresponds to a size 10 in the old standard. This means that Monroe actually wore clothes in the size 42-44 range.
Additionally, the parameters recorded by the Blue Book modeling agency, where Monroe signed a contract at the age of 19, have been preserved.
These measurements show that Monroe had almost ideal hourglass figures, standing at 166 cm and weighing approximately 53 kg.
The agency administrator even noted that at that time Monroe wore size 12.
In conclusion, while Marilyn Monroe may have been considered plus-size according to the standards of her time, she would likely be considered a more typical size in today’s society.
Her iconic status and enduring popularity is a testament to her beauty and talent, regardless of her clothing size.
