Sizes Have Changed With the Times
Dear Fashion Police: Marilyn Monroe was a size 12. As a size 7 teenager, I wanted to look like her. Now I’m over 50 and a size 12, but it’s suddenly a plus size! My clothing labels have X’s on them and cost more.
Also, the junior size range 5-15 seems to have gone bye-bye. What happened?
--GOODBYE, NORMA JEAN
Dear Good: Let’s rein in some of those misconceptions before they scamper off willy-nilly. Marilyn Monroe’s physical statistics, according to Current Biography, were as follows: 5 feet 5, about 120 pounds, with measurements of 37 1/2-23-36. While she’s often been described as full-figured and zaftig, those numbers suggest instead that she was thin, but curvy.
Miss Monroe very well may have been a size 12 or even a 14 during the 1950s, since over the years sizes have in general become much more generous (although some designers have recently scaled back down). We’ve also seen the addition of teeny-tiny sizes such as 0 and 2, as well as petites, to accommodate very thin and shorter women.
Today the actress would probably fit nicely into a 6 or an 8, depending on the designer or manufacturer. Uniform standards for American sizes disappeared in the 1980s, when the National Bureau of Standards allowed the garment industry to determine its own set of numbers. So it’s not unusual these days for men and women to have a three-size range in their closet, and it’s not even because of big weight swings.
Plus sizes are usually tagged with the letter “W,” as in 12W, to distinguish it from a regular size 12. But there’s a wide variation in what clothing companies consider plus sizes, although 14-16 is usually the kick-off point. However, Talbot’s starts its plus sizes at 12W (with measurements slightly larger than a regular size 12), while Lands’ End’s plus sizes begin at 18. But we think that starting at 12 is something of an anomaly, and you shouldn’t flip out because you think you’re a plus size or because you have X’s on your labels. We know a few size 8s and 10s who sometimes pick up an extra-large in an item that tends to run small.
But there’s more to this than sizes and measurements. Our standards of beauty have changed over the past decades, and what was once thought the epitome of beauty and sensuality--feminine curves and roundness--has given way to a new standard of almost impossible thinness, coupled with unnaturally large breasts. We’re sure the beauty aesthetic will change again, but unfortunately we can’t give you a timeline on that.
As for junior sizes, which use odd numbers (or are sometimes written as 5/6, 7/8, etc.), they’re still around. Junior retailers such as Wet Seal and Rampage still use them, in addition to the all-purpose small, medium and large.
Dear Fashion Police: I am 71 years old and have had painted toenails since I could hold a bottle of nail polish. Lately I’ve been seeing bare naked toes everywhere, so I’m wondering if painted toenails are hopelessly out of date. It’s almost time for sandals, and I don’t want my cute toes to be objects of ridicule.
--FOOTSIE
Dear Footsie: Don’t worry, your cute toes are right in step with the times. Well-groomed feet are never out of fashion, especially when they’re exposed to public scrutiny during spring and summer. Polish is still very much in style, from pale shades to hot brights. Just keep an eye on it, and when it starts to chip, remove it or touch it up. And don’t forget to give your toes a breather between applications of polish. It’s also fine to go without polish; just make sure nails are trimmed and neat.
We encourage men as well as women to keep up regular pedicures. This is important even if sandals aren’t in the picture because it keeps nails and calluses from getting out of hand. In fact, pedicures should part of the grooming regimen all year long, not just when it’s warm.
Write to Fashion Police, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles CA 90012, fax to (213) 237-4888, or send e-mail to jeannine.stein@latimes.com.
