When you think of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the first thing that hits you isn't a number. It's the silhouette. That crisp, pillbox-hat-wearing figure stepping off Air Force One or the relaxed, oversized-sunglasses-vibe of her later years in Martha's Vineyard. But for decades, people have been obsessed with the specifics: Jackie Kennedy height and weight.
There is a lot of weird misinformation out there. Some sites say she was petite, almost tiny. Others claim she was surprisingly tall for a woman of the 1960s. Honestly, the truth is tucked away in the archives of her dressmakers and the memoirs of people like her personal chef, Kathy McKeon, and her legendary designer, Oleg Cassini.
The Reality of Jackie Kennedy's Height
Let’s clear this up right now: Jackie was not a short woman.
While the average American woman in 1960 stood about 5 feet 3 inches, Jackie Kennedy's height was consistently recorded at 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm). Some biographies, including the official National First Ladies' Library, occasionally cite her at 5'8", but the 5'7" mark is the one that appears most often in her medical and tailoring records.
She had a long torso and lean limbs, which made her look even taller in those tailored sheath dresses.
Because JFK was a solid 6 feet tall, she didn't tower over him, but she certainly held her own. When she wore her preferred low-heeled pumps—she actually wasn't a huge fan of sky-high stilettos—she reached nearly 5'9". This stature was a major reason why she could pull off those bold, structural Balenciaga-style coats that would have absolutely swallowed a smaller person.
The Truth About Her Weight and That "Diamond Merchant" Discipline
If the height is straightforward, the weight is where things get a bit more intense.
Jackie was famously, almost notoriously, disciplined about her figure. One of her staffers once said she watched her weight "with the rigor of a diamond merchant counting his carats." For most of her adult life, including her White House years, Jackie Kennedy's weight hovered between 115 and 125 pounds.
That is incredibly lean for someone who is 5'7".
She stayed that way through a mix of high-protein habits and occasional "panic" diets. According to her former cook, Kathy McKeon, if Jackie felt she had overindulged (which, for her, meant eating more than a few bites of dessert), she would go on a strict fruit fast for a day.
The Famous "Potato and Caviar" Diet
You might have heard the legend. It’s the one where she supposedly ate only one meal a day: a single baked potato stuffed with beluga caviar and sour cream.
Is it true? Sorta.
It wasn't her permanent diet—nobody can survive on that forever—but it was a go-to move when she wanted to drop a few pounds quickly before a major event. It was the ultimate "rich person" weight loss hack. High potassium from the potato, protein from the caviar, and enough fat to keep from passing out during a state dinner.
Dressing a 5'7" Frame: The Tailoring Secrets
Oleg Cassini, the man responsible for the "Jackie Look," knew exactly how to work with her proportions.
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Jackie actually had what she considered "flaws." She thought her feet were too big (she wore a size 10) and she was self-conscious about her collarbones being too prominent. To fix this, Cassini and her other tailors used specific tricks:
- Bateau Necklines: These wide, horizontal necklines emphasized her shoulders and made her look regal rather than "scrawny."
- The Sleeveless Shift: Because she had long, toned arms from years of horseback riding, sleeveless dresses became her signature.
- Proportional Silhouettes: She avoided busy patterns. Solid colors on a 5'7" frame created a continuous vertical line, making her look even more statuesque and "expensive."
Interestingly, her clothing size would be roughly a modern 0 or 2. Back then, she wore a vintage size 10 or 12, but vanity sizing has changed things so much that her actual measurements—roughly 33-22-35—would be considered "extra small" by today's retail standards.
Why She Was So Thin (It wasn't just vanity)
It’s easy to look back and judge the "diamond merchant" discipline as an obsession with thinness. But you have to remember the era.
The 1960s were the start of the "mod" look. Thin was in. More importantly, Jackie was under a microscope that we can barely imagine today. Every angle of her body was photographed, analyzed, and printed in newspapers around the globe.
She also found movement naturally. She wasn't a "gym" person in the way we think of it today, but she was an elite equestrian. Horseback riding is a massive core workout. She also walked everywhere. Even in her later years in New York City, residents would frequently spot her power-walking through Central Park. That kind of consistent, low-impact activity kept her metabolic rate high without building "bulky" muscle, which she disliked.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often confuse Jackie's "frail" appearance in some photos with being a small person.
She wasn't frail. She was athletic.
The biggest misconception is that she was "petite." In the fashion world, "petite" usually refers to women 5'4" and under. Jackie was actually taller than many of the Hollywood starlets of her time, like Elizabeth Taylor (5'4") or Audrey Hepburn (who was 5'7" but often looked taller because she was even thinner).
How to Apply the Jackie Logic Today
If you’re looking at Jackie Kennedy's height and weight for inspiration, the real takeaway isn't the number on the scale. It's the posture and the tailoring.
- Know your lines. Jackie knew that being 5'7" meant she could carry off heavy fabrics, but only if the cut was simple. If you're on the taller side, lean into structured pieces.
- The "Uniform" approach. She didn't reinvent the wheel every day. She found a silhouette that worked for her height—the A-line skirt and the boxy jacket—and she stuck to it for years.
- Movement over "Exercise." She treated her body like a tool for her hobbies (riding, walking, traveling) rather than a project to be fixed at the gym.
Jackie Kennedy's physical presence was a masterpiece of self-management. She took a 5'7" frame and turned it into a global standard for elegance through a mix of strict discipline, expert tailoring, and an innate understanding of how she occupied space. Whether she was 115 pounds or 125, she carried herself like she owned the room. And usually, she did.
To truly understand her style, you should look into the specific fabrics she chose—like Double Faced Wool and Silk Zibeline—which held their shape and emphasized her height without clinging to her frame.