The Pretty Pear

Shoes of the week!

Torrid is having their 50% off clearance sale, which means really good prices on some great stuff. You just have to be willing to dig a bit! Keep in mind that sizing is limited, especially in the shoe department. If you’re a size 7, you really should check it out. Most of the shoes Torrid carries are wide width but some aren’t, so make sure to check the item page.

Black Faux Lizard V-Front Finella Heel, $15
A little edgy but still feminine, these heels would look great with straight leg pants or a simple dress.

Cobalt Patent Malia Heel, $12.50
Torrid has a bunch of different colors in this style. I really like this bright cobalt blue patent.

 Purple Faux Leather Finella Ruffled Heel, $15
These are just begging to go to a holiday party. The ruffle is cute but definitely not over the top.

Work wear from Torrid

Back in May, I wrote a Dear Torrid post where.. well, go read it but one of the things I mentioned is this:

There’s one area that Lane Bryant really excels in and it’d be a good idea for you to consider it – they have a core line of essential items (like jeans, basic tees, button up shirts, career wardrobe staples, etc.) and a line of trendier, seasonal items. There is a way to offer both.

I should have emphasized my point about work wear more – there is a need for business appropriate clothing that appeals to young women, pure and simple. There are plenty of plus size women who are fresh out of high school and college, going on interviews and entering their first office jobs and internships. Few are going to want to wear a traditional suit. There are also lots of older women who want to express their individuality, while looking professional and pulled together. They too want young, fashionable pieces.

I’m not fresh out of college but if I had an office job*, I’d certainly want cute jackets and tops to wear with more conservative, potentially higher quality basics. I’d want those pieces to work for mixing into casual outfits, too. A traditional suit is great but it’s hard to wear a suit jacket with jeans if the jacket doesn’t lend itself to that.

At the time when I wrote the Dear Torrid post, it seemed like they were taking a step back from offering jackets, cardigans, blouses, simple dresses and knee length skirts but they’re showing many more work appropriate pieces for the fall season.

Some of the stuff they classify as work wear is a little iffy (I wouldn’t recommend a miniskirt in a business setting) but a lot of it is good. Behold:

Jacket: Torrid sizes 1 - 4, $54
Skirt: Sizes 12 – 28, $44
Both items are 97% cotton and 3% spandex so if you have an aversion to polyester, this is great.

Jacket: Torrid sizes 1 - 4, $54
Pant: Sizes 12 - 22, $58
The jacket is cotton and spandex and the pants are polyester and rayon.

Pair any of the above four items with a colorful top and fun accessories and off you go. I’m glad to see options like these from Torrid. I do still wish they’d step up the quality of the manufacturing but with gentle care, these could last a few seasons. All of it is labeled machine washable but I think it’d benefit from dry cleaning.

I guess the thing with Torrid is that I just have to accept that some of the stuff will appeal to me and a lot of it won't. When I wrote the Dear Torrid post, it was not with the intention of saying I'd never shop at Torrid or that I think it's awful, or anything like that. I just really think it could be better than it is now and it has potential that it hasn't reached yet.

And this isn’t really Torrid’s fault but since they carry it, I’ll mention it here - I'm so freaking sick of Ed Hardy I can't even tell you. We can do so much better than that crap!

* I work from home so when you picture me writing, make sure I’m in pajamas! Some fashion blogger, eh?

Follow up on my letter to Torrid

Some folks have asked if Torrid ever contacted me about the open letter I posted a few weeks back. They contacted me the very next day, so that part was good. The bad part was the reply itself.

Hello Pretty Pear,

It's (name redacted) at Torrid. Saw the open letter to Torrid on the pretty pear site. Thanks so much for the shout out. We would love to give you a proper introduction to the Torrid brand by offering you a tour of our headquarter offices, a sneak preview of our upcoming collection and meet/greet with Chris Daniel (Torrid President). Please let me know if you are interested in getting to know this very special brand.

Best- (name redacted)
PR Manager

Right. So, I took some time to process the email in my mind and replied a few days later.

Dear Torrid...

There’s a really great thread going on at the Fatshionista community on LiveJournal where members are telling Torrid what they like, hate, need and want from the store. There are some common threads emerging and it’s a fascinating read.

In that vein, here is my open letter to Torrid. This is going to be lengthy but hopefully it gets my ideas across.

Dearest Torrid,

I like your spirit. I like that you’re filling a niche that few have been willing to fill. I like that you’ve realized that young, plus size women want to have access to the same types of clothing as their straight-sized counterparts.

I like that you’ve continued to grow, despite claims that offering young women the option of buying clothes in plus sizes encourages an “unhealthy lifestyle.” I like that shopping in your stores is fun and relaxed. It’s so different from what I went through ten or fifteen years ago as a plus sized girl with very few options.

Having said all that, there is room for improvement and I hope you’re open to honest opinions. We wouldn’t take the time to share them if we didn’t believe that you had the potential to be a great store that fills a need that millions of women share.

So, um.

Torrid has done the impossible: I'm speechless. I don't even know what to say about these. Perhaps you can think of a situation where Bad Santa boots would be an appropriate choice in footwear?

Kidding aside, I don't know if I'm a square or if Torrid is aiming for a younger and younger demographic. I am grateful that a retailer is selling trendy items for young plus size women and if I was 18, I'm sure most of my clothes would come from there. However, the clothes are growing increasingly over the top in terms of trendiness. It feels a bit like they're pushing away slightly older women like myself who enjoy trendy pieces but don't want something to go out of style before it even arrives in the mail.

If anything, I'm a bargain shopper and how many times will you REALLY wear slutty Santa boots? Cost per wear! Cost per wear!

To their credit, the calf circumference is 21 inches and up, so there's that.

Is this an April Fool's joke?

What the hell, Torrid? What. The. Hell?

Look! Fancy new dresses at Torrid!

I sometimes wonder if I'm maybe a little too old for Torrid but y'know... naaah! A lot of what they sell is aimed at younger women but there are pieces that are definitely appropriate for women who are older. It's just a matter of picking pieces that aren't too juvenile and wearing them in a more grown up way.

I've noticed new dresses popping up like spring flowers on the Torrid website and I'm hoping there are more to come. Let's look...

Black, yellow and white floral print halter dress
I love really bold, graphic prints like this and the splash of yellow is just the right color to welcome spring. If you can't wait until it's warm to wear this, pair it with very opaque black tights, simple black heels and a black or white cardigan.

Black, white and pink floral border dress
This dress wants to go to a spring or summer wedding, especially if it happens to be a daytime or semi-casual reception. You can't tell from this image, but the bust is polka dot patterned with a satin sash that ties in the back.

Black and white daisy tube dress
Noticing the trend with black and white prints? If you click through and look at the close up of this dress, there's a verrrry subtle green piping and buttons at the bust. This one could also be worn with a cardigan but I'd go with color, like teal or turquoise. Pair it with flip flops for a casual day or with wedge sandals or heels for a night out.

Check out more new dresses at Torrid here. Don't forget that you can save $20 off a $100 purchase through the 10th with the code 20off100.

Torrid's Pink Ribbon Boutique

As you (hopefully!) know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Torrid is doing their part to help find a cure by donating 20% of the profits from their Pink Ribbon Boutique to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. There are several cute items to choose from, including my favorite - a set of two pins that say "I (heart) boobs" and "Big or small, let's save them all."

unrequited love

I want this dress from Torrid so bad it's causing me actual physical pain, the longing is so intense. Look how fresh and colorful it is, without being too much. Look how perfectly cut and detailed it is with the green trim. Look how ladylike and youthful it is, without being frilly or juvenile. That's not even to mention that it matches my Vox blog. And this blog too, actually. I like green and blue polka dots... a lot. 

And it's made of cotton. 100% airy, light, beautiful cotton. In a world of synthetics and blends, this is a dress made to dance in, to breathe in, to frolic through a garden of daises in. It's so very rare to find a plus size dress that's gorgeous in its own right, not just cute despite being a plus size dress.

I have absolutely no where to wear such a dress, and I don't even know if it'd look good on me, but I'm tempted to order it anyway, just to have its cuteness in my closet.

The only thing I have to say about prom.

This dress. This one right here? It's TIRED. I have seen this exact dress over and over for years now and I haven't been to a prom since the late 90's. It's an ok dress, as far as prom dresses go, but it's done.

Really.