Friday, November 16, 2007

BUXOM Loves: Torrid


Phew..! It has certainly been a while since we've talked, hasn't it? Life, a new job, the joys of home-updating and all those little things have diverted me, lately. But never fear, my dearest Buxom Broads! I am back and in full swing with some fabulous new fashion goodness for you.

I have seen heaven. Torrid be thy name.

Ok, seriously... I didn't think I would EVER mutter that phrase. I used to work for Hot Topic back in the day (actually, I managed there when Torrid was created), which made me vehemently prejudice against Torrid. Because, to be quite honest, when it was first created it seemed to be nothing more than Hot Topic for Big Girls. And not in a good way. The clothing was shapeless and it looked like they took the latest Morbid Threads pieces, added some more fabric to them and completely robbed them of shape.

Not so now, my dearies.

This past weekend, I went to the Owings Mills mall for some retail therapy and visited my tried-and-true haunts. I found some really cute Ug Boots at Payless, a couple of great babydoll sweater dresses (an unbelievably feminine, frisky and flattering pair on curvy girls... just make sure you stick to a good empire waist and not a boring column-esque job)... life was looking up for me.

Then, I arrived at Torrid.

For a minute there, I almost kept walking. But then I gazed inside and saw that Torrid was NOT the store I used to know. Instead of being just another Hot Topic, I found an emporium of hot, saucy and great fitting clothes. OMG it's like heaven. They had every form of look I love- city/urban sass, Punk/Club clothes, Business attire, Coctail wear. And though a lot of the clothes didn't look extra flashy on the rack, they looked dynamite on!

First I tried on a pair of black business pants, a gray under shirt and a short vest (the Annie Hall/Vest look is SO in right now). Unlike other stores that make my size, I found these pants DIDN'T show off my buttcrack every time I sat. They actually accentuated my awesome booty and didn't creep down on the equator when I sat. Score! Plus, the vest was flattering and ever-so-cute. I'm sold on the whole ensemble.

Then, I tried on a lovely pleated skirt. NOTE!!! Pleated skirts in flowing material look DYNAMITE on anyone. They're feminine and airy, they do double duty as a dressy
separate and a flirty on-the-town piece AND they're a classic. If you are in need one sophisticated black skirt, GO and buy this one RIGHT NOW. It may be a bit pricey at $50, but it'll last you for years to come and goes with just about anything. Wear it with kitten heels and you're vintage-fabulous. Pair it with doc martens and you're rockin' the Ally Sheedy/Breakfast Club chic. You can't lose!

But... oh man. The most AMAZING thing there were the jeans.

Ladies... three words. Apple-Bottom-Jeans.

Created by Nelly, these jeans are simply made for women. They're not your Mossimo, totally-not-constructed-for-ANYONE-who-has-an-ass pants. No, these little jems are so comfortable, so cute and so fun. I will raise my hand and swear to you right now
that I have NEVER loved a pair of jeans like I love these jeans. I have struggled for years with the curse that is Ultra Low Rise pants (eek!) and their counterpart and just as deadly nemesis, Ultra-High-Granny-Waist Jeans. I have gone through all sorts of discomfort and settled for less-than-great fitting jeans just to have a few pairs to my name. But oh man, no more. NOW- one warning. You pay for quality here. They are a hefty $70 a pair. And before you "Oh HELL NO!" me, listen... they're worth it. Seriously. Go into the store, try them on. If you hate them, let me know. But I have a feeling you'll be a convert too... just go for it!

Now, that brings me to the downside. You pay more. No way around it, Torrid is expensive. Shirts there (even tank tops) start around $20 and go on up to $100 for a fancy hoodie. Pants and skirts are around the $50+ arena, with dresses being around $60. However, the clothing is made well and you pay for fit.

But, my dear readers... I wouldn't just leave you out there, a poor little lamb amongst the wolves of full price clothing... oh no! Psst... (leans in) check the Torrid.com site for sales. I happened upon their site a few days back and I got a pair of Apple Bottom Jeans for $35 on sale. SAME pair I found in the store, if I might be so boastful. The trick with Torrid is to go to the store, try stuff on THEN check the site. You won't always stumble on a sale, but sometimes you get lucky. I would highly suggest joining their mailing list. They gave me a head's up when they were doing the 1/2 off Clearance Sale and I cleaned up. Shirts went down to a range of $7-$20, pants dropped to $20-$40 and even those crazy hoodies were "only" about $50 (though I would argue that one really damned good hoodie can really kick up your wardrobe).

As far as environment goes, the staff was awesome (really well dressed ladies of all sizes! God I hate going into plus size stores and not seeing a single plus size employee) and their dressing rooms made me feel like a queen! Great lighting, a lovely black chaise for me to sit on, a large mirror and personal attention (they actually write your name on a board outside your dressing room so they can personally help you select more sizes or looks... BRAVO)! I couldn't ask for more, really. Well, actually... maybe free chocolate or beer.

But anyways!

So, for those of you who haven't done it, get out to Torrid and have fun playing around in all there awesome clothes. Visit their website Torrid dot com for a peek at more of their great looks.

For those of you that have gone, leave your feedback. Think I'm totally nuts? All opinions are welcome!

Until next time (hopefully not another three months!)
-Beezers