I knew all of this about Marilyn, always been a fan of hers. She is not a natural beauty by any means (had lots of plastic surgery) and always stated she didn't give a shit about real diamonds.

Anyone see that new Dior ad with Charlize Theron where they re-animate Monroe? I loved it

But out of all the blonde sex symbols my favorite is Mae West. That broad could never shut up.

Also on a side note speaking of fashion, Carrie Bradshaw always reminded me of Victoria Beckhan. They say Victoria is a so fashionable but to me it looks like she just buys the most expensive clothing by the most famous designers. *Of course she looks fashionable* But I tend to think a more interesting fashion would be mixing things with thrift store items, etc. and just making it your own.

Marilyn Monroe being a size 12 was always a blatant lie that feminists liked to perpetrate.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-24/hollywood-auction-ends-myth-of-zaftig-marilyn-virginia-postrel.html

Marilyn Monroe being a size 12 was always a blatant lie that feminists liked to perpetrate.

Isnt everything they perpetrate a blatant lie?

I thought she was a sz 12, but that yesteryear's 12 was about a 4 now. Anyway, I never though she was fat. She dressed to show her curves, though.

She was short, so whatever size she was would look bigger than on a taller person. Also, if I remember correct her weight fluctuated from something like 104-140 lbs over her life, so it would depend at what point in her life you were looking at her.

I always figured she was a size 12 because 1) sizes were smaller back then and 2) she was busty. If I only had to dress to my waist size then I'd be a size 10 (and dropping). But having to get my boobs into a dress means shopping in the plus size section for a 14 or 16.

She had a 22" waist but she had a 34" bust. She'd be a taken in size 10 by modern standards. http://www.metrication.com/clothing/dresses.html So waist yeah she's a 2-0 but you can't really take the bust on a size that small to 34. We went through this at my wedding every girl but one had to have the dress taken in but one, she was flat at the time. One was an athlete and still needed it taken in after getting a larger size.

The thing is what hardcore feminist call curves the rest of us would see as roles. Funny enough the few I have had the displeasure of interacting with would never date a fat guy. They all throw them selves at athletes then get all pissed and hateful when he's not into fatties.

It also depends on the designer or manufacturer. I have a large the feels like spandex and a large that I feel like I'm swimming in it. Same with my wife's dresses. She can take between a 2 and an 8 and being petite she can also do child's sizes which puts her at 14-16, tight in the bust swimming at the waist.

I've noticed the "Marilyn Monroe was chubby" thing going around Facebook a lot. While the idea that women should not strive to be anorexic is a fair one, portraying MM as chubby is not remotely accurate.

As for the size thing: I recently bought a pair of jeans at Old Navy in a size 2. I fit in the size 0, but the 2 was a bit more comfortable. This is great for my ego, but I am simply not as tiny as that implies. Sizing is ridiculous.

I have one question, though: Are these measurements based on her clothing sizes for movies or her personal clothes? Wouldn't her costumes have been custom-made? If so, speculating on her size is pointless. I could be wrong, though. I'm not a huge fan of hers.

Lots of Marilyn pics & quotes here:

http://www.sheilaomalley.com/?p=38275

From "For The Last Time: What Size Was Marilyn Monroe?""

But if people demand numbers? They're certainly out there. According to measurements from Marilyn Monroe's dressmaker:
Height: 5 feet, 5½ inches
Weight: 118-140 pounds
Bust: 35-37 inches
Waist: 22-23 inches
Hips: 35-36 inches
Bra size: 36D

So whenever she got over 130 pounds, she WOULD be overweight, I suppose. That is, I think doctors would agree with that.

BTW, Mae West's measurements, IIRC, were 5 feet 2 inches, and 36-26-36. Naturally, SHE looked heavy - but at that height, the other measurements were reasonably flattering.

see, the lie in all this is "SizeX"

That's like saying gas used to cost .25 cents. Sure, and a house cost $10k. Money has inflation, and a lot of people have a basic understanding of that, though they often ignore it.

But in all these diatribes about how MM was a 12, they conveniently act like The Size is the size now.

So, we could all bypass this, if it was a a basic measurement system, like other countries use, and men in this country use. Japan uses 3value hips, waist, bust. An inch or centimeter isn't subject to ego or inflation.

Whoa, low-carb catching on?

The skeptic in me wonders if Marilyn wore these clothes or if these were "goal" clothes. My ex kept slimmer clothes for this reason (but lacked the self control to do anything about it.)

And I would add that I knew a teen in the 1980s who was called "fat" by her mother for being 5'5" and 130 pounds. I doubt that type of judgment was unusual. So, yes, you could call Marilyn "fat."

Marilyne Monroe was certainly not fat by any standard, but it's true that her body has a different aesthetic than what's considered ideal today: little muscle definition, a higher body fat percentage, softer stomach, etc. Today's top models and celebrities might have the same measurements as Marilyne, but they're much more likely to have a rock-hard stomach, defined triceps, etc. In that sense Marilyne represents a body type that is less often celebrated in the media, and that's a good thing. Women are deluding themselves if they think that Marilyne looks anything like today's size 12 or 14, but she still looks more like the average woman than, say, a Victoria's Secret model does, and I think a lot of women like that.

Of course she was slim. It seems silly that any size 14 woman today would see MM in a movie and think that the two of them were the same size. Do they not have eyes?

She may certainly have been well-read for all I know, but a collection of first editions doesn't demonstrate anything of the kind. Most people collect first editions for their value -- reading them might damage them. You can buy cheapo paperbacks (or take free books out of the library) to educate yourself.

It might demonstrate she adored books. Or more cynically, it might demonstrate that she wistfully wanted people to think she adored books. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt that it's the former.

By the way -- you people think 5'5" and 130 pounds is "overweight?" Not according to any height/weight chart i've ever seen. Actually, if you're fit and have some muscle, you'd be pretty slim at that weight and height. Depending on your bone structure, you might not want to weigh much less.

I looked at several "ideal weight" calculators. 130 pounds is nowhere close to the overweight range. Indeed, it falls pretty much smack in the middle of the range of "ideal" weights for 5'5".

At 120 pounds and 5'4", i have a 25 inch waistline and i need to have my size 4 clothes taken in. Yes, that's 10 pounds less than 130, but i'm also an inch shorter than 5'5". (They say add 5 pounds for every inch of height, so my equivalent weight, were I 5'5", is 125 pounds). I'm athletic and have a lot of lean muscle, and i do think some of this depends on your bone structure and body fat composition, but still. 130 pounds might be "overweight" for a supermodel, but it's certainly not overweight in terms of health. And i doubt most guys would think it overweight in terms of appearance, unless the woman was really flabby and ill- proportioned.

If a 25 inch waist and a size 4 is overweight, I happily resign myself to it. When I was marathon training, I dropped to 115 and my guy friends all thought I was too thin.

Oh. My. God. This string is truly frightening. 5'5" and 130 lbs is a BMI OF 21.6. It doesn't get any healthier than that. Those who suggest otherwise are deluded. The only reasoning that would excuse such comments are in the case of extremely finely-boned and minimally muscled women. But on average this is perfectly height/weight proportional.