She is most known for playing the funny ‘blonde bombshell’ role in many of her films, and quickly became one of the most well known sex symbols of all time.
Marilyn Monroe is undoubtedly one of the biggest icons of the 20th Century. You’ll be hard pressed to find someone who does not know who she was, or who has not seen a picture of her before.
Her first roles depicted her as the ‘dumb blonde’, whose main purpose was to be sexy and seductive, but Monroe fought for more serious acting roles that allowed her to show her depth and character.
This is most likely due to the fact that Monroe was known as the most undeniably beautiful woman to ever grace the silver screen, and was mostly seen as a symbol of femininity and sex rather than an actress.
As a result, Marilyn Monroe has always been under scrutiny over her size, famous hourglass figure, and still today people wonder what her measurements were.
So, how tall was Marilyn Monroe, what were her measurements, and was she truly a plus sized icon?
How Tall Was Marilyn Monroe?
Marilyn Monroe most likely became a stand out actress because of her unique figure. At the time, Marilyn Monroe was not shaped like most women in Hollywood.
Her hourglass figure became so recognizable, and so sought after that even women today strife to emulate her ‘perfect’ body.
Marilyn Monroe embodied everything society deems to be the ideal body shape. She had curves in all of the right places, was petite in size and stature, but busty with wide hips.
It was once hard to tell how tall she was, due to the fact that she often wore high heels, and showcased her slender frame and legs. In terms of height, Marilyn Monroe was only 5 ft 5 inches, or 1.68 meters.
This is about the average height of an American woman today, but the average height during the 1950s would have been about 5 foot 2 inches.
Marilyn Monroe Measurements
There has been a lot of debate over the years regarding Marilyn Monroe’s measurements, and how they compare to the modern day.
According to research, most maintain that Marilyn Monrow weighed from 118 pounds to 140 pounds when she was at her heaviest. Her bust was an estimated 35-37 inches, too.
A receptionist for the star once wrote down Monroe’s measurements as 36-24-34, at 118 pounds, which by today’s standards, on a BMI chart would be considered perfectly healthy. However, some at the time still referred to her as too plump, or stated that she was a size 12.
The issue is modern sizing and vintage sizing is different. A modern size 12 woman would not fit into 1950s size 12 clothing. It is hard to say what size Marilyn Monroe would have been because she was often sewn into her clothing.
In recent years, Kim Kardashian dropped 16 pounds to fit into Marilyn Monroe’s iconic ‘Happy Birthday’ dress for the Met Gala.
While it is said Marilyn Monroe wore a size 12 dress, today that would be closer to a size 4 or 6. However, the skin tight, sheer, ‘Happy Birthday’ dress that she wore to President Kennedy’s birthday in 1962 was sewn up tight while she was in it.
Other reports claim that Marilyn wore a size 16, particularly in tops due to her larger bust.
The white dress from The Seven Year Itch was auctioned off in recent years, and placed on a size 2 mannequin, but even the mannequin was too large for the dress, and it could not be zipped all of the way.
This begs the question, was Marilyn Monroe ever really plus sized?
Was Marilyn Monroe Really Plus Size?
There has been much speculation as to whether Marilyn Monroe was a plus sized woman. Any person could look at a photograph and say she most certainly was not- but there are rumors and claims that Marilyn was considered plus-sized.
This largely stems from the fact that Elizabeth Hurley once said that Marilyn Monroe was a size 16. She stated “I’ve always thought Marilyn Monroe looked fabulous, but I’d kill myself if I was that fat…” and “She was very big”.
Rumors flew around, and many believed that Marilyn Monroe was around the same size as the average American woman would be today – which is considered plus size. This could not be further from the truth.
Some reports state that Marilyn Monroe was once a size 16, which by today’s standards would be considered a plus sized woman.
However, a vintage size 16 is not the same as a modern sized 16. Today’s size 16 would be more of a size 20-22 in vintage sizing.
It could be due to her curvy, hourglass shape, but Marilyn Monroe was in proportion, and very slim at the waist.
Even at her heaviest size, Marilyn Monroe’s waist still measured a tiny 28.5 inches. This is hardly plus sized by any standards, modern or vintage.
In fact, Marilyn Monroe’s dressmakers noted that her measurements were exactly 5 ft 5.5 inches tall, with a 35 inch bust, a tiny 22 inch waist- which was around 2 inches smaller than the average 1950s American woman, and 12 inches smaller than today’s average woman.
However, her hips measured 35 inches, with a bra size of 36D.
While she is widely regarded as a plus sized curvy woman, she was not a plus sized woman by any means, and was actually rather petite.
How Old Was Marilyn Monroe When She Died?
Marilyn Monroe was born in Los Angele in California on the first of June, 1926. She would later die on August fourth in 1962, at only 36 years of age.
She was found dead in her home in Brentwood, California from a suspected overdose of barbiturates.
Even after her death, Marilyn Monroe remains one of the biggest icons and movie stars to have ever lived.
Final Thoughts
To summarize, Marilyn Monroe was a unique and iconic beauty. She is still today considered the beauty standard of ‘the perfect woman’ with petite features, an hourglass figure, bleached blonde hair and striking doe eyes.
Marilyn Monroe was of average height, measuring around 5 ft 5 inches, but had a large bust, wide hips and an absolutely tiny waist! She remains a stunning Hollywood icon still today.
Have you ever thought that you were born in the wrong generation? That you would have suited the 80s better? The 70s, 50s, or even the 30s?
Then welcome to my website, where you’ll fit right in. Hi, my name is Willa Price and I am a self-confessed fashion lover.
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