It was an example Willow3!
Back to Oreos post. I wonder if people know how much bra sizes have changed? (More facts).
Bra sizing in the UK has changed over time, but not because the official UK sizing system itself has been fundamentally revised. Instead, several factors have made bra sizes appear different today than they did in the past.
The main reasons are:
Better fitting methods. Decades ago, many retailers used the "add 4 inches" (or sometimes "add 5") method to calculate band size. For example, someone with a 32-inch underbust might have been fitted into a 36 band. Today, most professional fitters use your actual snug underbust measurement, so that same person is more likely to wear a 32 band.
Cup size depends on band size. Cup letters are relative, not absolute. A 32D has a smaller cup volume than a 36D. If your band size changes, your cup letter usually changes too. For example, a person previously fitted as 36B might now be more accurately fitted as 32D, even though their breast volume hasn't changed.
Expanded size ranges. Many UK brands now offer sizes that were once difficult to find, such as 28 and 30 bands, and cups beyond G, H, J, K and higher. Years ago, people with these sizes were often fitted into less accurate "closest available" sizes.
Brand differences. There is still no single enforced sizing standard. A 34F from one manufacturer may fit differently from a 34F from another because of variations in design, materials, and manufacturing.
So if you wore, say, a 36C twenty or thirty years ago, you might now be fitted as something like a 32F or 34E without your body having changed significantly. That reflects changes in fitting practices more than changes in the sizing system itself.