The best figure in Hollywood - 1931 edition!

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Okapi42
Okapi42 Posts: 495 Member
I found this article on Slate very interesting: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/2013/04/17/best_figure_1931_photoplay_magazine_article_judges_starlet_measurements.html?wpisrc=obnetwork

It's a discussion from 1931 on which celeb of the day has the best figure, backed up by an analysis of their measurements, and contrasted to the "boyish" figures of the models at the time. Makes for an interesting read, if nothing else.

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  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Neat! I'm pretty close to Earl Carrol's ideal measurements... but I weight a good deal more than that.
  • Okapi42
    Okapi42 Posts: 495 Member
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    I suppose they weren't really looking at muscular women!
  • MandaJean83
    MandaJean83 Posts: 677 Member
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    It's strange...these girls claim to weigh so little, but their measurements disagree. I have about the same measurements as the other 5'3" girls (32/26.5/35) and yet I weigh about 125 lbs...NOT 115 lbs. Hmmm! Either way, I'm glad to see that they valued women who had a bit more substance than today's models and actresses!
  • catrinaHwechanged
    catrinaHwechanged Posts: 4,907 Member
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    It's strange...these girls claim to weigh so little, but their measurements disagree. I have about the same measurements as the other 5'3" girls (32/26.5/35) and yet I weigh about 125 lbs...NOT 115 lbs. Hmmm! Either way, I'm glad to see that they valued women who had a bit more substance than today's models and actresses!

    I don't think it's so strange. It depends a lot on body composition. My measurements are really close to Greta Garbos but I weight 15 more lbs than her.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    It's also entirely possible that women then lied about their weight as much as women do now.

    I've never seen a Playboy centerfold (claim to) weight more than 120 pounds unless she was almost six feet tall. :laugh:
  • gnat45
    gnat45 Posts: 833 Member
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    It's strange...these girls claim to weigh so little, but their measurements disagree. I have about the same measurements as the other 5'3" girls (32/26.5/35) and yet I weigh about 125 lbs...NOT 115 lbs. Hmmm! Either way, I'm glad to see that they valued women who had a bit more substance than today's models and actresses!

    I noticed the same thing.

    At goal, I'm 35-25-35 or so, which is in the range of these sats. But I am 5'2 and 118 at goal.
  • dimsumkitty
    dimsumkitty Posts: 120 Member
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    Women back then probably didn't work out, so they probably filled out those measurements with mostly fat.
  • hellokittymaui
    hellokittymaui Posts: 226 Member
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    That's really interesting! Thanks for posting that.