Several things... one can look at pictures of someone in the past and determine based on physical attributes if that person can be considered hot in a clinical objective basis.
Further, given that over the years several men of wealth and influence tried, in vain, to win my Grandmother over from my Grandfather tells me they considered her hot. On a trip to Palm Springs in the 60s the producer for Mr Ed wanted to get her in the TV scene, however she turned him down due to being shy and modest.
You know how old people are, they talk about the past all the time, it got to be like background noise but I remember all the stories from all my grandparents because I'm cursed to be a Listener.