Marilyn Monroe’s Personal Leather Belt
This soft brown leather belt was owned and worn by Marilyn Monroe and preserved as part of the collection. Ornamented with gold tone fleur de lis and elements inspired by French heraldry, the belt reflects the understated yet graphic accessories Marilyn favored early in her career.
The belt was sold as part of the landmark 1999 Christie’s auction titled The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe. Photographs document Marilyn wearing this belt in 1951, pairing it with a simple skirt and sleeveless top in a manner that emphasized proportion and movement rather than ornament alone.
The Belt in Context
This belt shows how Marilyn dressed in her everyday life. She paired it with simple separates. She emphasized proportion and movement rather than ornament. The styling was understated and confident.
Contemporary records document her weight and measurements across her career. In 1945, she weighed approximately one hundred eighteen pounds. In 1960, one hundred forty pounds. In 1962, one hundred seventeen pounds. Her measurements changed as her life changed. This belt, measuring twenty seven inches when fastened, offers physical context for how she wore and styled herself at different points in her career.
The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe
October 1999
Collector’s Note
This belt measures twenty seven inches. That specific detail offers physical evidence of Marilyn’s actual body at a specific point in her career. Her weight and measurements changed throughout her life. This belt documents one moment. It is a tangible measuring stick of who she was, not a theoretical size from a studio record. To learn more about Marilyn’s true size, click here.
Scott Fortner
Marilyn Monroe Collection
Founder & Owner
@mariylnmonroecollection 
TheMarilynMonroeCollection