Bra shop lied to me

From 32B to 28F in 5 minutes

I wore a 32B bra for almost 15 years. I should have known something was wrong. When I was measured I was a 32A but I could never wear it = the band was too tight. So I was a 34A, right? Well, no. Another miss: the cup was too big (it seems the sister size 34AA, doesn't exist). That's when I was given a 32B, and then it was "perfect."

Annoying things

The smallest band is 32! In my country, they say that no woman can wear a size smaller than 32. But we can shop 30 band :
In general stores, size 30 is for teenagers and only offers cup sizes A to C (if you're lucky, because most of the time it's A and B cup).
In bra shops, size 30 exists, but only for: "very thin women, you won't be able to breathe if you wear one." They go up to an E cup, which is good, but not enough. (I wear a 30DD because finding a size 28 for less than €52 online, including tax, is *IMPOSSIBLE*. I don't want to spend that much on a bra, sorry.)

You can't be a F cup, I'm a C cup and I have a bigger bust than you. That's true, but false. You have a "bigger" chest because your band size is larger. It's funny how people understand that a 32A isn't the same as a 40A [a woman who wears a 40A has a bigger chest than a woman who wears a 32A, but she (the woman wearing 32A) won't say, "You're not an A cup, I'm an A cup and I have a smaller chest than you" or vice versa]. But if you say, for example, 30D, they'll immediately reply, "You're lying, I'm a 36D and you... that's not a D. You're a B if you want, but no bigger." (Note: these sentences are fictional, but inspired by real events.)

In this section, I'll explain how I realized I was wrong and how I reacted.
I wasn't happy with my appearance and wanted to be sure I was a 34B. I searched on specialized websites and kept getting the same result: "34B" or "34A" (my body had changed a bit). Suddenly, I tried the website of an independent French woman who claimed to help women find their "right size." At first, I didn't understand. I entered my measurements on her site, and it told me: "You're a 28D!" (Yes, D cup and not F because I did some things to get to an F cup - I won't talk about how I increased my volume since this page is dedicated solely to bras)
Everything went crazy. How could I be a D cup when I can't even reach a B cup?! Right after that, I stumbled upon a French blog that explained everything. And that's when I started to change my mind and think, "Maybe." I watched videos of people wearing their new size. I discovered the website abrathatfit. I read posts on Reddit from people wearing my size. It took me several days to be 100% sure it was real and not a scam. I had to try it. I wanted my 28DD bra. (when I decided to finally change, I was a DD cup)!
Okay. It didn't work out as planned. Size 28 was too rare and too expensive. So I ordered a 30DD online. When it arrived, it looked huge and I was scared! Scared it wouldn't fit, scared it was a scam. I tried it on, it wasn't too tight and, best of all: the cup size was almost perfect (almost, because it's a sister size and not mine). It was slightly too big at the top, but really not by much.

In France, an A cup corresponds to a difference of 13 cm between the bust measurement and the underbust measurement. This represents approximately 5.11 inches. To wear an A cup, therefore, you need a difference of about 5 inches between your bust measurement and your underbust measurement!
Yeah. I think you're starting to understand the problem.
A cup : 13 cm = 5.11 inches
B cup : 15 cm = 5.90 inches
C cup : 17 cm = 6.69 inches
D cup : 19 cm = 7.48 inches
In France, they use the "+4" technique to sell bras (I don't know if there's a specific name for it), that's why numbers sooo high. If you don't know what it is, it means they take your underbust measurement and add 4 inches, because… why not? So, since the bust measurement is too large, you also have to have a large bust to wear the "smallest" size (which is logical but so stupid! give me the right size already T_T).

I know some people are skeptical (I was too), so I think it's best to show you an example that seems the most obvious to me.

This is an example from @Abrathatfits (link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CNkfGixHQxd/ ). As you can see, she was wearing a 36C (left), and now she is wearing a 32F (right).

At first glance, one might think that the one on the left is the correct one because that's what we're used to seeing. But no. Look at the one on the right. It fits her just as well, even better. So really, don't hesitate to check your size at home. Furthermore, wearing the right bra helps to create a better silhouette and slimmer figure (this is what emerges under some Tiktok and instagram posts).