Marilyn Monroe was NOT a size 16!

In my unpopular opinion, Marilyn Monroe was NOT a size 16....at least not by today's standards.

I have always been skeptical of the myth "Marilyn Monroe was a size 12."  I've heard anywhere from 12-16.  I mean...look at her.  You can tell she isn't overweight.  She's obviously curvy and beautiful. 

I will add a disclaimer here: in my opinion, size isn't a determiner of beauty.  In fact, I'm very wary to call anyone "unattractive."  The only time I would call someone "unattractive" is if they simply did not take care of themselves at all.  Beauty is very subjective, and ultimately comes down to a matter of personal preference.  Therefore, I am not referring to any kind of judgment of what is beautiful or attractive in this entry. 

According to one of her dress makers, Marilyn Monroe was 5'5''.  Her measurements were 35, 22, 35.  I don't know anybody today that can boast a 22'' waist!  Her weight fluctuated between 115-120.

However, Marilyn probably did wear a larger numbered size back then because sizing was different.  Today's sizes for women's clothing have changed. 

In the 1960's, women were on average 5’4'' and 120 lbs.  Their waists were on average 24-25 inches and their BMI's were on average 20.59. The average size for a woman was 8.  Today, that is more like a size 4.

The average woman today is 5’4'' and 166 lbs.  Their waists are on average 37.5 inches and their BMI's are on average 28.49.  Today, the size of the average woman is 10-14 depending on the brand.

I do know plenty of beautiful women that are the average size.  I'm not going to tell them they should lose weight.  I'm not even going to tell them to "be healthier."  I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist.  I don't know the diets of any of these women, so who am I to judge whether or not they are healthy, simply based on their dress size?

The one thing I can say is that Marilyn Monroe was MUCH thinner than the average American woman today.  If she were walking the earth in 2013, she would be wearing approximately a size 4. 

I'll come out:  I am 4 feet, 11.75 inches and 126 pounds.  My BMI is 24.8 (which is on the high side of normal).   I wear a size 6 (although I can wear anything from a 4-8).

Marilyn and her 22 inch waist

(For more on Marilyn, read "Today I Found Out")
(For more on average sizes, read "Paging Jane Doe")