1912's Perfect Woman Was From Brooklyn, Weighed 171 Lbs, Had Pear-Shaped Body

In 1912 Miss Elsie Scheel of Brooklyn was deemed the “most nearly perfect specimen of womanhood” out of 400 other coeds at Cornell that year. The 24-year-old Scheel had come to Cornell from Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn Heights—she enjoyed horticulture, outdoor sports, and was an ardent suffragette. [...] "Miss Elsie Scheel’s BMI would have been 26.8, placing her squarely in today’s dreaded 'overweight' category... [and] at Banana Republic she would wear a size 8 top, a 12/14 bottom, and probably a 12 dress with the bust taken in." 

http://gothamist.com/2012/12/20/1912s_perfect_woman_was_from_brookl.php