Monroe's curvaceous figure - which her dressmaker claimed measured 37-23-36 - is best seen in films such as 'Some Like It Hot' and 'The Misfits', in which she models an array of swimwear.
Debenhams, which commissioned the survey, now predicts a trend towards the fuller figure and last season it reported a 58 per cent increase in sales of bust-boosting bikinis.
"With the average cup size of the list going from a C to a D in just one year, they are proof that a voluptuous figure is even more desirable that ever before," the Daily Mail quoted Debenhams spokesperson Sasha Nagalingham as saying.
'And women want to imitate the look; sales of gel-filled bust-boosting bikini tops increased by 58 per cent last season and we have extended the range ready for the spring 2012 swell.
'Our results tell us that looking great on the beach is not about being the thinnest or the youngest woman around.
'Women are increasingly appreciative of figures that symbolise all the great things about womanhood," she said.
Others to make it on to the list of top ten were Christina Hendricks, Amy Childs and Kim Kardashian, all boasting cup sizes ranging from C to GG.
