Fat Acceptance Movement / Fat Girlcows

This is something I saw on r/fatlogic, demonstrating how severe vanity sizing is nowadays: a women's clothing size measurement chart from the 1982 JC Penney catalogue. Today's "smallfats" are larger than the largest size here..

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Size 14 for a 36” bust?? Today that’s a US size 8!

No wonder they had to invent “double zero jeans.” It was either that or start getting into negative numbers.
 
Size 14 for a 36” bust?? Today that’s a US size 8!

No wonder they had to invent “double zero jeans.” It was either that or start getting into negative numbers.
Sizes from that chart are somewhat vanity-ized too. You know how fatties cling to the notion that Marilyn Monroe was a size 14 and therefore a plus sized goddess? Well, she was a size six in today's sizing. Even her autopsy report stated she was about 123-125 lbs ( I can't remember the exact number).
 
Sizes from that chart are somewhat vanity-ized too. You know how fatties cling to the notion that Marilyn Monroe was a size 14 and therefore a plus sized goddess? Well, she was a size six in today's sizing. Even her autopsy report stated she was about 123-125 lbs ( I can't remember the exact number).
Christ you only have to google a picture of her to know she was thin, FFS either they have some well distorted vision or are knowingly lying about her. I do not for one second believe they would not be plastering her image every place they could if she was a big heifer, so it is like all their stuff lacking any bit of reality.
 
This is
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No way am I going to risk my physical wellbeing to help a deathfat get up from the ground. I feel like it is instinctual to assist someone, but the fight or flight instinct is probably greater, and a falling heifer is as dangerous as a rolling boulder when you are a normal to small sized person.
 
Got a bit over bored yesterday and went thru that Ample app and have some highlights to share.

So this app actually has places on it now! It used to just be places the owner of the app herself had visited. They rate now on how they treat fat people, trans people, disabled people, and black people (they call it BIPOC). Businesses can take an accessibility pledge which is amusing because it gives them a special badge.

We begin with an Ode to Dennys:
"Oh, Dennys. I don't know why they renovated all the Dennys in Calgary (it would appear) but they made the booths un-moveable and SMALLER. So I am a size 28 about 315lbs, mostly belly. I can't fit in the booths for sure. We always have to find a table, which is less comfy. But at least there's that option? sigh. "

And crazy hormone doctors:
"Wendy Field is a queer Family Nurse Practioner who can see abd treat anyone except cis-men. Don’t let the name discourage you, it’s inclusive of trans men, non binary people, women of all kinds. She is knowledgeable and does horemone therapy including non binary low doses for folks. She is skilled and fat inclusive for primary care. This is also a good option for small bodied queer and trans people to birth. Unfortunately it is not far inclusive for birth. They have outdated BMI restrictions that need updating. "

And Fat Yoga:
"Sarah Harry, the founder of Fat Yoga, ran a private yoga session for my plus size hiking group, and its the first time I have done yoga where I haven't felt like I was restricted by my chest or belly. She made it accessible to everyone in the room, including lots of pose adaptations to suit different people. This is the first time that i have felt yoga is for me. Fat Yoga has locations all over Melbourne, and, if the instructors are like Sarah, they will be welcoming and accommodating to all body sizes. "

"This is a review about the amusement park in Shakopee, MN, about 30 minutes outside the Twin Cities. For reference: I am a (female) sphere: 59" tall, 60" at the widest point across my hips and belly, size 26, just under 300lbs. My male companion for this trip is 5'11, 245lb, 38" waist. There was a problem from the jump. I got a little hung up in the turnstile at the entrance. Would have been better to request entrance through the wheelchair gate. Most of the rides also have this turnstile to get through, as well. Every ride has a safety guideline sign, listing height requirement, warnings against pregnant riders or those with neck/back problems, etc. And most of these signs also state plainly: MAY NOT ACCOMMODATE GUESTS OF A LARGER SIZE. Several mention a weight limit. Okay, thanks for telling me not to bother standing in line. Here's my issue with these thoughtful save-you-the-trouble signs: they're still not helpful. For example, the very first ride inside the park, Monster, does NOT heed a warning for larger passengers, just a weight limit (which did not exclude me), but I still didn't fit once they tried to lock me in. Several of the rides have molded plastic seats, where your legs are separated by a divider. Those with heavier thighs - like me - can't even sit down, let alone get the restraints to lock in. All told, I was able to actually ride on three attractions: the Ferris wheel, the Tilter, and that lovely, slow, little train that takes you around the park. My friend was able to ride the Monster, but suspects he probably lacerated his liver because of how tight the restraint bar was pressing into his abdomen. He also shared with me that the Renegade and a few others he had ridden on a previous visit had been so unbearably uncomfortable he had no interest in even trying to ride them again. But, wait, there's more! Even dining, stopping to rest and people watch, or just copping a squat somewhere was a challenge. We went inside Chickie & Pete's for a snack and drink, and the chairs were the old wooden barrel style, with arms that wrap all the way around. And the picnic tables of molded plastic scattered throughout the park were even less comfortable. All told, the most fat-unfriendly place I've ever been. I've had more success fitting on to rides at county fairs than I did at Valleyfair. P.S. I'm just not a water park girl, but it looked like there were some more accommodating attractions there, if you want to give that a go."

"TL/DR: Stay away. BMI requirement of 35 for everything. Extreme weight bias and shaming. After two failed attempts at IVF with another clinic, I had an appointment here with Dr. Batchellor to investigate the possibility of using a known egg donor. She winced as she said my weight aloud, and within 5 minutes of the appointment beginning, told me my weight was the reason my previous two cycles had failed. NOTE: My doctors at the Mayo Clinic who ran the previous two cycles said they didn't know why the IVF cycles failed, so how does this woman, who hadn't read my records and had talked to me for 5 minutes know? She didn't. She's just extremely biased. She then suggested I have weight loss surgery, and asked if I wanted a referral for a dietician. I told her that I wasn't interested in losing weight intentionally, as I have an eating disorder and it's been an unsuccessful/unhealthy experience in the past.

Despite the fact that fertility clinics state BMI restrictions are for anesthesia purposes, and there's no anesthesia involved with using donated eggs from someone else, she said the BMI limit of 35 would still be enforced. I asked her why, and she said because she wanted to give me my best chance. I suggested that I thought it was probably to game her success statistics as a clinic (how clinics rate themselves is largely based on this). I said this felt like eugenics, that someone else has the ability to decide whether or not I am able to procreate, and that she was discriminating against me. She vehemently disagreed, but didn't offer any solutions. I requested the $225 back that I had already paid for this (now 10 minute) appointment that was clearly going nowhere. "

"I recently visited Miracle at Lawless Distilling and had issues with their seating. I left the following feedback when asked for it from my electronic receipt: "I have disabilities and the lack of seating made it impossible for me to stay and enjoy the celebration with my colleagues because I couldn't stand for very long. There wasn't even seating in the back to accommodate me. Moreover, the barrel seating is not accommodating to large bodies, and stools, while better, are challenging as well. I will not be back to this venue and will not recommend it to others. If all bodies aren't considered in the design of a space, it's a fail." Their response was as follows: "Hi Ivory- Thanks for letting us know about your dissatisfaction with our distillery. Over the past couple months we decided to pay our staff so they can take care of their families instead of spending thousands of dollars on new seating for our distillery. We will take your feedback into consideration when planning for 2019." It is absolutely shameful that this place would use the wages of their employees as a reason not to accommodate people with disabilities and larger bodies. If they can't be in business without paying their employees fairly AND considering ALL potential clients, they shouldn't be in business. Please consider taking yours elsewhere. "



"I first went to Janelle to get a handle on my eating disorder and finally figure out how to lose weight. Those of you that have had the great pleasure of meeting a HAES anti-diet dietician probably know where this review is going to head. Janelle introduced me to HAES and the podcast "Food Psych" and "The Body is not an Apology" and about a million different resources to help me see that my body could be healthy at this size and that more disordered eating was NOT the direction to health or freedom from food. She was life changing, intuitive, smart and steady. I wish everyone in a body (Yup, any body) had the privilege of running into a Janelle in their life. I went from pissed, and I mean pissed, (what do you mean you aren't going to agree that I'm so terrible and out of control with food unless I eat like xyz and look like xyz!?!) to "oh my god...half of me still thinks this is bullshit and the other shoe is going to drop but oh my god....this is what freedom looks like, isn't it?" "

"Wink Wink is an intersectional feminist, ciswoman owned small business that has made sex positivity, support and inclusion of marginalized identities, and education and accessibility (the store is all-ages!) a priority. They stock lingerie up to size 4X; they offer discounts to sex workers; they sell binders, gaff panties and breast forms. They have a small selection of books and magazines that range from essays to erotica to early "

"There is a good amount of open seating in the waiting area (although it's wood and creaks noticeably under weight)"

"Extremely queer friendly. I opt for an androgynous, male-leaning haircut even though I am an assigned female. No one has ever judged me for this nor questioned me for this, and they charge me for a male cut. "

"We also discussed the feminist impacts of women-specific brand lines... and the impact of all this genderization on nonbinary people. They strive to reduce the binary gendering of bicycles, so I think this would be an OUTSTANDING place to buy a bike for trans or nonbinary person. "

"Dr Usman is my primary care provider. I started seeing her before Eating Disorder treatment so she has seen me at every size. She has always been very compassionate and non triggering to me. They do ask to weigh but I decline and don't get push back. She isn't strictly HAES but she is open to conversation. I asked her to remove the term morbidly obese from my diagnostic codes and she gladly did. She never tells me to lose weight and treats me for my symptoms not my weight. "

" I’m a fat, cis, temporarily able-bodied white woman, I recognize that my understanding for those identities I do not share will be incomplete."

"If you (like me at 500+lbs) are superfat, you can call ahead and they will reserve the widest chair in the corner for you. " (Accupuncture review)

"The scale has a high weight limit (unsure exactly but I'm 420ish) and the nurse was happy to pull it back from the wall for me so I could stand on it comfortably. "

"Lots of fat folks in this region, so going to a public pool and being in a swimsuit in front of others doesn’t make anyone bat an eye. Have seen many happy fat folks here in delightful fatkinis! "

"She was super sensitive to the fact that I'm plus size and dont wish to lose weight, there is no diet talk when I go to see her, which is a relief. She gently prescribed some powder for my skin to counter heat rash, very matter of fact but also sensitive."

" She shows compassionate care for patients of all body sizes, while remaining aware of her own privilege & using it to help those who are more marginalized. "

"i sent a note with my new patient info forms, saying "I react really well to literature based approaches so I hope you are open to me asking you for peer reviewed references I can look at. Please remain focused on the pain and digestion issues and do not discuss intentional weight loss or engage in any kind of shaming."

"Had a bikini wax by Susie. The salon had a very sturdy table, and at no time was I concerned about my 350lb+ body being unsafe."

"My genderqueer partner was assumed to be female by the older shopkeeper, but was treated very well, so likely ignorance, not malice. "

"The tables are incredibly closely spaced... so much so that my size 18/20 butt knocked silverware off when I tried to get through the tables. "

"I'm a size 22 and my butt was knocking things off people's tables and it's sort of embarrassing. Staff is super nice though. "

"I was fat-shamed by multiple employees during a visit at this location about my size, itself, and then was concern-trolled about my order and its size. After I filed a complaint about this with corporate, management called me to reaffirm their employees' comments and conduct." (McDonalds)

"The lady at the counter kept walking past our table staring at my girlfriend, the whole time we was there. It was extremely uncomfortable and was the last time we went. We had been going there for a long time till she came out, then the two times they made us feel like a side
show, the last time was the last straw. I was waiting for her to crawl on the table and get nose to nose with my Lady. " (Trans Review)

" I fly somewhat frequently and have found this airport's TSA body scanner goes off more than other airports due to the weight I carry in my lower body. "

"My hips are about 75" and just barely fit into the armed chairs in the Southwest terminal."

"The owner is white and utilizes Mexican culture for profit, in the decor and name of his restaurant. "

" As a fat person, it can be difficult to relax as I'm constantly worried I'm in the way of waitstaff trying to squeeze through the narrow aisles they've left themselves (or plotting the course for how I'll get to the door without knocking someone's wine over with my arse. "

"I love that many of the clinics in town have added chairs for bigger bodies. This clinic only has one, though. And every time I have been there, there has been a thin person sitting in it, despite there being many empty average sized chairs around. Why not just add many chairs? Or put a sign on the chair that says it is for people with bigger bodies or who are in need of extra space? UGH "

"Dr Foster is a terrible OB-GYN and extremely fat phobic. My experience is that she will see you as fat first, a womb second and perhaps a person is third on that list but she never treated me like a person, so I don't know! I had an appointment with her as a followup for an abnormal pap smear a year ago that my previous OB-GYN in another city told me to follow up with in a year, so I picked a Kaiser doctor at random and unfortunately that doctor was Maryann. The experience started with a nurse who couldn't get over it when I declined to be weighed and who took my BP on my forearm because they didn't have a cuff large enough. (This is not the way to get an accurate reading.)"

"Dr. Kung fat shamed me, told me to move more (without regard for my chronic illnesses, limited energy, and limited mobility), and refused to consider options other than oral contraceptives to treat my Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). I will not be back because she made me feel so ashamed of myself. I ended up eating more than I would usually have eaten for dinner after my appointment because I was eating my feelings. "

"Avoid Dr. Alexandra Oleinik, who fat shamed my 9-year-old nephew until he was sobbing."

"The doctor I saw (who is no longer with the practice) advised that I go on a specific fad diet without first asking me whether I was interested in weight loss or indeed whether I was currently dieting, or anything at all about my eating habits whatsoever. When I pushed back, she implied that I did not know anything about eating "healthy". When I checked my online chart later, I saw that she had diagnosed me with obesity due to overeating. This obesity diagnosis is on every single visit summary I've ever had at this place, or at any of the other Mount Carmel Medical Group places I've been to"

"Doctor told me to limit feeding my child who was at that point 6 months old and exclusively breastfed. They told me not to feed her outside of scheduled feedings so that she wouldn't "snack all day". Also marked her as "obese". "

"Dr Munshower told me to lose weight and that would cure my diabetes and my back pain. I was 140 lbs at the time, and I am a type 1 diabetic which has nothing to do with weight. They also fired me from seeing all 40 doctors in their practice, just because he didn't like that I told him to go back to medical school. "

"Refuses to do medically necessary plastic surgery on patients with BMI 50+ unless immediate life-threatening circumstances. Requires fat patients to visit bariatric surgery center in IU Health network, even when patients decline this intervention. Uses staff to intervene with "noncompliant" fat patients, including canceling appointments at the last minute if patient has not lost weight. "

"Terrible bedside manner. Made me cry as he blamed all of my ills on my fat body. He would not relent, even with pushback and very clear communication that WLS was not an option. I have repressed a lot of the details of seeing him, but I vividly remember the doctors I saw after him being appalled at the shame-and-blame, anti-fat biased information he had bulldozed me with. See someone else. "

"Then the woman starts quoting BMI! BUT BMI IS NOT ACCURATE MEASUREMRNT OF HEALTH. I thought this was general knowledge by now, that BMI is bull hockey. Doesnt take into account variations in muscle mass. I walked straight outta there. That woman is going no where near me and my vagina!...Oh and a low limit scale."

"Encourages dieting/intentional weight loss. Fails to consider her own thin privilege when providing care nor the unique circumstances each of her patients face when it comes to food/body before prescribing lifestyle changes. "

"The provider is very enthusiastic. Unfortunately, she's super enthusiastic about restrictive fad diets and spent 90% of our meeting prostelyzing at length. I have an eating disorder and find such discussions triggering, and I told her so. Unfortunately, this did not slow her down at all. I definitely would not describe her approach as shaming, but her failure to respect my boundaries was disappointing. I declined to be weighed and the nurse was reproachful, and stated "I will have to put a note in your chart you refused". I had sent the practice a letter in advance outlining my specific needs as someone with an eating disorder. "

"Super super focused on weight. I literally have never been so ashamed in my life. I had to cry in the bathroom for 20 minutes before it was safe to drive home!"

"I saw Dr. Saragas when I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes, which happened because the raised blood sugar caused my vision to go blurry. Given why I was there, it is no surprise that he told me his opinion about how I should eat to "beat" diabetes. "

"Saw two different doctors on different days, they immediately weighed me, freaked out and started recommending activities and food without checking my previous medical history. Once I got through the "omg you're fat and we must fix you by giving useless and sometimes harmful advice you never asked for" they were good doctors for basic stuff. My fat was their number one concern and the advice they gave me was limited to judgemental advice which made it clear they think I sit around eating hamburgers and takeaway food all day. They both made me feel invisible and unheard. "

Inner Life Psychotherapy, LLC / Christina Wall, MS, NCC, CRC, LPC intern
Owner Statement: "IT"S NOT YOUR FAULT! If you struggle to accept your body, if every diet you have tried has failed, it is not your fault. Our society does not want you to love your body unless it fits into an extremely narrow definition of what is acceptable. And even if you do fall within this minuscule category society will find some other way to tell you that you are not good enough. And diets? Well, diets suck, they don't work.

Northwest Family Acupuncture
Owner Statement: "Queer-owned, HAES informed acupuncture practice. Five Element acupuncture and herbal medicine. I honor that I practice a borrowed medicine and work to repay that privilege through participating in efforts to dismantle systemic oppression.

Dr. Natalie Feinblatt
Owner Statement: "I approach my clients from a HAES/body liberation standpoint. I work on a regular basis to be a better ally to BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and those with disabilities. Alcoholic/addict. Trauma survivor. Creative. Do at least two of these three describe you? If you're struggling to get sober, you're fearful about the impact sobriety might have on your creativity (and life in general).

Eating Disorder Therapy LA
Owner Statement: "We are committed to the treatment of eating disorders in people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities. We provide state-of-the-art empirically validated treatments. We adhere to Health At Every Size® principles. We believe that all bodies are good bodies. We do not promote the pursuit of weight loss and we work to fight against weight stigma. Our office is handicap-accessible. "

Liz Brinkman Nutrition
Owner Statement: "I offer a non-diet approach which supports people in finding their natural body size without diet, restriction, or food/body obsession. Through this weight-inclusive approach we will use intuitive eating, body image recovery work, and mindful self-compassion principles. This work is tailored based on specific goals and strengths of the client, so that each person experiences help that is a good fit for them. While my work is guided by evidence and current research, I prioritize the lived experience of my clients. Together, we will partner to build skills and find tools that are designed to be honoring and empowering. I uphold and abide by the Health At Every Size paradigm which supports people of all sizes. I believe that social characteristics, such as our size, race, national origin, sexuality, gender, level of ability, and other attributes, are assets. Face-to-face + virtual appointments available. Home visits available if qualified. "

Celeste Smith Therapy
Owner Statement: "Hello! I am a HAES and Intuitive Eating based therapist who works with eating disorders, disordered eating, body image, and sex struggles. I work with two non diet dietitians and we truly seek to make you feel welcomed. We intentionally select furniture that is conscientious of our clients in larger bodies and will even point you to the accessible bathroom down the hall bc we know our building’s main bathrooms are not size friendly- eyeroll! You will know we care about YOU and we will never focus on weight or preach weight loss we will work hard to nudge you in the direction of acceptance in spite of the world all around you telling you not to! I’ll even fight with your doctor for you bc it’s exhausting as hell that you have to! "

INSPIRD Nutrition Consulting
Owner Statement: "Our mission is to inspire a healthy relationship with food & body acceptance with a weight-inclusive approach to health. No more dieting, restriction, and one-size-fits-all solutions. Dieting traps you in an emotional cycle filled with frustration and failure, which is devastating mentally, physically, and nutritionally. We promise to help you find your own definition of healthy, independent of food rules and judgment. After all, this is all about you and no one else. Learn body acceptance through curiosity and self-compassion, and let go of comparing yourself to others. We’ll guide you every step of the way - because we’re in this together. "

Goodness Gracious Living Nutrition
Owner Statement: "Beth Rosen, MS, RD, CDN is a non-diet Registered Dietitian practicing from a Health At Every Size® philosophy. We subscribe to a non-judgmental, non-diet approach wellness by teaching techniques that are tailored to the individual's needs. We work collaboratively to develop a plan that provides the tools to heal your body – whether it is to free it from the vicious, chronic cycle of dieting and empower you to heal your relationship with food and your body, or to free yourself from the quality-of-life-altering symptoms of digestive diseases."

And Finally
"I’m a queer cis fat bride entering into an interfaithish secular marriage and my attendants are pretty dang gay. Beca doesn’t need me to explain my transmasculine non-binary surprise best boi or my pan demimaid of honor or how I don’t want to feel in a dress shop or that I’m not “sweating for the wedding” or that my marriage doesn’t nullify my queer card or anything. She just gets it. 13/10 and verified woke af. High quality political rants in between conversations about cake and dancing and feelings. "

"Came here with my transmasc non-binary friend to help him with his first suit rental. We didn’t come out or explain when we introduced ourselves and they definitely thought he was my butch lesbian high school sweetheart fiancé and we didn’t correct them because by the time we figured out that was happening it was ALSO clear that we made their week. My friend felt great about the experience! "
 
Is the Ample app only in iPhone? I couldn't find it in the Google Play store. I'm all for an app letting people know 'hey, there are no chairs here you can sit in without breaking, etc.' since I think that saves everyone involved from a lot of awkwardness. But why should businesses cater to them? Wouldn't extra large chairs for deathfats be uncomfortable for 90% of people? And why don't they care that seating is also uncomfortable for short people, tall people, etc....oh right, because then they'd have to admit they're only victims of their own making.

"Dr. Kung fat shamed me, told me to move more (without regard for my chronic illnesses, limited energy, and limited mobility), and refused to consider options other than oral contraceptives to treat my Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). I will not be back because she made me feel so ashamed of myself. I ended up eating more than I would usually have eaten for dinner after my appointment because I was eating my feelings. "

I fail to see what other options the Dr. was supposed to consider. Lifestyle intervention is important for any disease, but especially with PCOS. There are multiple forms of exercise and gentle movement appropriate for those with chronic illnesses, and exercise helps with limited energy and mobility. Especially when these are caused by being fat.

My favorite part of this is this person stating they "ended up eating more" than they normally would have. Note the passive language here, placing the responsibility on the doctor, and not the person doing the eating. And the lack of acknowledgement that "eating my feelings" is not a good coping mechanism. And finally, the obliviousness to the fact that this poor lifestyle choice is what the doctor was trying to help with.

Ugh.
 
Is the Ample app only in iPhone? I couldn't find it in the Google Play store. I'm all for an app letting people know 'hey, there are no chairs here you can sit in without breaking, etc.' since I think that saves everyone involved from a lot of awkwardness. But why should businesses cater to them? Wouldn't extra large chairs for deathfats be uncomfortable for 90% of people? And why don't they care that seating is also uncomfortable for short people, tall people, etc....oh right, because then they'd have to admit they're only victims of their own making.



I fail to see what other options the Dr. was supposed to consider. Lifestyle intervention is important for any disease, but especially with PCOS. There are multiple forms of exercise and gentle movement appropriate for those with chronic illnesses, and exercise helps with limited energy and mobility. Especially when these are caused by being fat.

My favorite part of this is this person stating they "ended up eating more" than they normally would have. Note the passive language here, placing the responsibility on the doctor, and not the person doing the eating. And the lack of acknowledgement that "eating my feelings" is not a good coping mechanism. And finally, the obliviousness to the fact that this poor lifestyle choice is what the doctor was trying to help with.

Ugh.
I just used the website that feeds the app. The app itself wasnt usable last i tried it.
 
Sizes from that chart are somewhat vanity-ized too. You know how fatties cling to the notion that Marilyn Monroe was a size 14 and therefore a plus sized goddess? Well, she was a size six in today's sizing. Even her autopsy report stated she was about 123-125 lbs ( I can't remember the exact number).

The autopsy report states a weight of 117lb. She was at one of the lowest weights of her entire career when she died after filming in Something's Got to Give was halted. Her model book from the late 40s/early 50s listed her weight as a few pounds heavier, 120-125lb.

Her weight fluctuated throughout her career, being at its highest around the late 1950s, coinciding with her pregnancies which ended in miscarriage. Far as anyone can work out, her highest weight was around 140-ish, with a waist measurement of 28 inches on her clothes that survive from that time. At her lower weight, her waist was 22-24 inches generally. She had a 36 inch bust and a tiny waist, an extreme hourglass shape that few have. With those proportions, she'd have to buy bigger sizes off the rack today and get the waists tailored down two size at least.

People are generally taller on average today - way taller than those born in the early twentith century when most female stars were no more than 5' 1" and often under 5' (Veronica Lake was 4' 10" which is why they paired her with 5' 4" Alan Ladd so he could look tall ).... develop earlier (average age of menarche was 16 in Victorian Britain, now it's between 12 and 13) and shaped differently and will be heavier generally as a result and sizing does reflect that, it's not all vanity sizing, although that certainly applies. Old patterns and sizing just can't really apply now that population grows a lot taller and develops earlier as nutrition in childhood is better on the whole. Back in the first half of the twentieth century it was very normal to be too thin and undersized (male or female, James Stewart was rejected from the US army for being underweight), due to poor nutrition, not enough calories and for girls develop sexual characteristics rather late, hence the focus on seling weight gain supplements and ways to fake having a bust.

There is certainly an argument to be made about sizing conventions getting out of control with this stupid 00 stuff and shifting sizes down to flatter people's egos, but even some small people today would have major issues fitting in old sizing conventions.
 
Also, women wore shapewear much more back then.

Oh for sure, and that made a big difference in how a pattern might be cut with the 100% expectation that various undergarments would be worn beneath it to compress and smooth the torso and enhance the bust. The cone bras looked off even on Marilyn but you can see how certain fashions kind of demanded them if you see them worn with and without them.
 
The autopsy report states a weight of 117lb. She was at one of the lowest weights of her entire career when she died after filming in Something's Got to Give was halted. Her model book from the late 40s/early 50s listed her weight as a few pounds heavier, 120-125lb.

Her weight fluctuated throughout her career, being at its highest around the late 1950s, coinciding with her pregnancies which ended in miscarriage. Far as anyone can work out, her highest weight was around 140-ish, with a waist measurement of 28 inches on her clothes that survive from that time. At her lower weight, her waist was 22-24 inches generally. She had a 36 inch bust and a tiny waist, an extreme hourglass shape that few have. With those proportions, she'd have to buy bigger sizes off the rack today and get the waists tailored down two size at least.

People are generally taller on average today - way taller than those born in the early twentith century when most female stars were no more than 5' 1" and often under 5' (Veronica Lake was 4' 10" which is why they paired her with 5' 4" Alan Ladd so he could look tall ).... develop earlier (average age of menarche was 16 in Victorian Britain, now it's between 12 and 13) and shaped differently and will be heavier generally as a result and sizing does reflect that, it's not all vanity sizing, although that certainly applies. Old patterns and sizing just can't really apply now that population grows a lot taller and develops earlier as nutrition in childhood is better on the whole. Back in the first half of the twentieth century it was very normal to be too thin and undersized (male or female, James Stewart was rejected from the US army for being underweight), due to poor nutrition, not enough calories and for girls develop sexual characteristics rather late, hence the focus on seling weight gain supplements and ways to fake having a bust.

There is certainly an argument to be made about sizing conventions getting out of control with this stupid 00 stuff and shifting sizes down to flatter people's egos, but even some small people today would have major issues fitting in old sizing conventions.
I wish I had a citation, but when Marilyn's iconic Seven Year Itch dress was auctioned, the auction house displayed it on a dress form corresponding to today's size 2, and while the dress fit the form at the bust, the waist was too small, so they had to leave it unfastened. I don't remember the source, other than it was a print arts or design magazine that covered auction news, and could reasonably be trusted to quote reliable sources. And I remember it because even by 2011 I was sick of garden-variety chubettes in rockabilly clothes stupidly claiming that the '50s were a much better time for "curvy" girls like them, and that Marilyn was a size 14.
Also, women wore shapewear much more back then.
Oh boy, did they. Girdles back then were no fucking joke, and Spanx is total weaksauce by comparison. As a kid in the '70s I remember some older women who still wore them, at least on occasion, but most had gleefully abandoned them in the '60s as soon as it was considered acceptable to do so, and they never looked back. To this day, I still see even slim women who claim they love vintage fashion of the '20s-'50s, but they never manage to achieve the right look because they won't wear the right undergarments for the period. And fatgirls with all their rolls? LOL, never.
 
I wish I had a citation, but when Marilyn's iconic Seven Year Itch dress was auctioned, the auction house displayed it on a dress form corresponding to today's size 2, and while the dress fit the form at the bust, the waist was too small, so they had to leave it unfastened. I don't remember the source, other than it was a print arts or design magazine that covered auction news, and could reasonably be trusted to quote reliable sources. And I remember it because even by 2011 I was sick of garden-variety chubettes in rockabilly clothes stupidly claiming that the '50s were a much better time for "curvy" girls like them, and that Marilyn was a size 14.

Yeah, I've heard that one too, but without specific measurements given off the dress form and the dress, it doesn't mean a lot other than proportionally, Marilyn was simply shaped differently from an average mannequin or clothes form, as many people in reality, in fact most of us, are in some way or other to some degree. Certainly someone with an extreme hourglass shape is always going to have issues with off the rack clothes anyway, given they diverge from the average proportions expected by the industry.

There's a page here that covers her measurements and how they conflict with all modern sizing conventions due to the disproportionally small waist no matter how much she weighed:


You can see how stuff like her evening cape that only needed to fit her upper body fitted size 6-8 dress forms perfectly. it's really the waist that screws things up.

Oh boy, did they. Girdles back then were no fucking joke, and Spanx is total weaksauce by comparison. As a kid in the '70s I remember some older women who still wore them, at least on occasion, but most had gleefully abandoned them in the '60s as soon as it was considered acceptable to do so, and they never looked back. To this day, I still see even slim women who claim they love vintage fashion of the '20s-'50s, but they never manage to achieve the right look because they won't wear the right undergarments for the period. And fatgirls with all their rolls? LOL, never.

Yeah, I recall my grandmother and her 'girdle' and that thing ws vicious. They were not pleasant to wear, often, it seems. But they were better than the whalebone corset stuff the even older generation wore. You'reright though, you cannot get the correct look of truly vintage clothes right without the matching era of underwear it was designed to be worn over.
 
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