Bra measuring is wacky

I've gotten measured for bras several times in the last few years. Twice at Nordstrom's (once after giving birth and once again after losing weight) and twice at Confidentially Yours, a lingerie boutique shop in Champaign, (once when I first moved here and then twice while I was losing weight). Each time the Nordstrom's folks and the Champaign folks are usually spot on in agreeing with one another. I just had to adjust if the bra was padded or not. But the cup and the bandwidth were always the same. The last time I measured was June. I was a 32D. And 32D in Wacoal B.Tempted, DKNY, Natori, etc., fit great.

Today, I got measured at Victoria's Secret, because it always feels like none of their bras ever fit me right using the other stores' measurements. So I figured I'd suck it up and get it done. Where they put the tape was completely different than where Nordstrom's and Confidentially Yours put the tape. VS measured me for their bras as a 36B. She also commented that I had big ribs. (Why thank you?)

And, yes, the bra fit fine. And I weigh the same I have since May.

Can someone explain to me how this makes any sense? I mean, is it just like women's jeans. Who the hell knows? You might be a 2, you  might be a 10, it just depends on who made it and what style they are?

Mmm, fine washables, what?

Awhile ago, Quigs and I went bra shopping together. We ended up in the upper-end bra store in town where the check out person was telling us how washing our bras with Tide would ruin them. Apparently there is special bra washing detergent...and that we're supposed to wash our bras in a special lingerie bag. 

I scoffed. Quigs looked ready to bolt. We'd been wearing bras for longer than we hadn't been wearing them. And no one, no one had ever told us anything about what has developed into I guess a whole bra science exposed by Oprah and other talk show hosts.

To be clear, I don't buy bras that cost a lot of money. I buy them on sale. Buy one get one free. They're not flashy. 

But after X-man was born, my body shape changed drastically. I find that it's still changing and things that fit right 6 months ago don't now. They're tight in some places and loose in others now, where they might have fit just fine then.

Anyway, I went into Nordstrom's to get sized when X-man was 10 months old and had my own creeped out bra buying experience. It was a shockingly unpleasant experience, even for a woman who'd let it all hang out during birth.

I've never taken anyone into a dressing room with me. Hell, even my mother stood outside. So to have her be behind me, measuring my naked chest and then holding the bra in front of me so I could put my arms in the holes and she could latch me up was insane.  Then she put her hands in front of me, inserted them into the bra and "scooped" my breasts into place.

Besides the emotional scarring,  I found my size, bought some insanely expensive bra that she showed me (like $59) and got the hell out of there. 

I still have that bra. It still looks decent. It still fits okay, even though I've washed it with Tide.... but all the other cheaper ones I've bought since have stretched out or become uncomfortable. And now I'm wondering if I should dig in deep into my pockets and buy a set of the more expensive kind to see if I can get more wear out of them. 

Maybe it's gravity of my ginormous ta-tas weighing the material down. I've known other people who have worn the same bras for years. Or maybe my body is just randomly changing... 

But maybe I'll even spend a few extra bucks on the prettier ones... Is that completely silly? I guess I just haven't been feeling very pretty lately. And I wonder if I got out of my "mommy" clothes if that would change?