That Marilyn Monroe was a "size 12." She was not what we think of now as a "size 12" because vanity sizing has decreased the numbers on sizes. She was closer to our modern day 6. Her studio stated that her measurements were 37-23-36. She was 5'5 and around 118-125 pounds at the height of her career. one source and another source. This bugs me because a lot of people today say "I'm a size twelve! Marilyn was a size twelve!" and use it to feel good about themselves. Women should feel good about themselves based on health and happiness, not some lie.