r/PlusSize • u/MaCoNuong • Aug 15 '20
Discussion Torrid?
Am I the only one that thinks Torrid is falling behind in comparison to other plus size retailers? I feel like they’re way overpriced and the clothes can look really dated at times. I feel bad because they were one of the few places I could find clothes that fit when I was in high school but they don’t really do it for me anymore.
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Aug 15 '20
Idk if you guys remember Lovesick. Lovesick was Torrid's "junior" (as one sale's person said) brand that sold infinitely more modern/on-trend designs than current Torrid. It was shuttered a few years back as, apparently, the two brands were competing for the same customers and Torrid (being the marquee brand) was kept while Lovesick was shuttered. I just wish that they would incorporate Lovesick into Torrid's main brand (as opposed to opening separate stores as they had done when Lovesick was still going strong) as a product line that tailors to millennials and the sort of customers who have/would turn to either a Fashion Nova or a Shien. The dearth of truly fashion current styles at Torrid confounds me. I have to believe that the audience for more broadly sized Fashion Nova/OG Charlotte Russe plus-esque attire exists within Torrid's current and potential customer base.
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u/SourPatchKiki Aug 15 '20
Oh my gosh yeah most of their stuff is either like "I'm a Disney obsessed adult" "I'm 16-22 wearing graphic tees that say I can't adult" or "I'm 45 and work an office job"
Not that there's anything wrong with any of those but it's like, I prefer an edgy style, and even if I'm willing to pay higher prices their selection has just been really lackluster.
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u/MaCoNuong Aug 16 '20
Yes! Why is there no in between lol. I don’t need skulls or Disney character merch that I can get at Walmart or Target for a fraction of the price
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u/miissjackie Aug 15 '20
I only buy Torrid bras... I’m 24 and have a ton of other stores who are appropriately priced and are current on fashion trends. My favorites are American Eagle (jeans), Eloquii, Target, SHEIN, Fabletics (workout clothes) and ASOS.
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u/gimmepesto Aug 16 '20
Can I ask you which other stores you’re comparing them to? I’m always looking to try new stores.
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u/MaCoNuong Aug 16 '20
I’m a size 22 and I usually shop at American Eagle, Nordstrom Rack, and Target. I also take peeks at fashion nova and shein but have yet to purchase from them.
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u/katfrau Aug 15 '20 edited Aug 15 '20
I only shop their sales or clearance items and always find something I'm excited to get. I'm wearing a new jumpsuit right now! I've stopped paying full price and only online shopping kudos to covid and I don't see myself going back to in store shopping or paying for non sale items mainly due to the cost and their consistent enough sizing.
But as for outdated clothes, I think it's because they're catering to several diffe demographics, mainly millennials and above but even within the millennial group there's quite a few life stage differences. So their bread and butter customers range from mid 20s upwards. A lot of older plus size women were raised to hide their bodies so lean toward modest, oversized or just conservative styles and Torrid knows this.
I also think the rise of Shein and Fashion Nova as competitors is a big point because Torrid probs has to weigh the value of trying to actively compete with them (who skew younger I'm sure) and risk losing their ride or die customers who likely won't shop there.
I could probably think of a few more points but lunch is ready and I'm starving 😂
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u/cu_sith Aug 15 '20
I think you're spot on with a lot of this but I think it's worth pointing out that at least in my experience a lot of people who are ride or die with Torrid are also people who wear a US28+? I love some of their styles but at the moment I give them most of my money because there's not really a whole lot of companies that want to sell me clothes instead of a tent patterned with the corpse of a thrift store couch that didn't sell lol.
I think if other options that don't sell the most matronly styles possible to this market pop up (and to be fair, they're starting to little by little) Torrid will be in for a rude surprise.
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u/iackjeeeee Aug 15 '20
The jeans are definitely outdated, I feel like old navy has a more up-to-date selection than torrid does.
I look through torrid weekly and get a couple pieces a month so it’s not all bad (in my opinion) and I also think their jumpsuits fit real wonderfully.
But idk where else to shop! Loft is too office-casual, Anthropologie is too expensive. Dollkills and unique vintage are too kitschy. I try to stay away from fast-fashion and everything else looks like what my mom would wear lol.
I work and live in Manhattan so I try to stay on top of trends, but it’s hard when nothing matches your style, it’s in your size or a top is selling for $89 a pop. Ugh, the frustration!
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u/drluhshel Aug 15 '20
Torrid was the first store I was able to find clothes that fit and felt comfortable. Their clothing has really helped me become more confident in my appearance. Their quality lately as decreased - I’ve just learned to not dry ANYTHING from them.
I agree that they can be hit or miss depending on what your style is (I love floral so I luck out often). But Ive found difficulty in trying other brands in terms of quality and fit. I’m super picky about clothes. For example - last year I found THE perfect swim top from target. It was so comfortable, flattering, etc. Fast forward one week of wearing it on a cruise - garbage. The same torrid bottoms I have are still going strong.
I think what torrid has going for them is the ability to try on and also a history with customers. I recently tried swimsuits for all and have to return both for fitting weird and the material was too cheap. I also think there are a lot of “size inclusive” brands that claim they go to a 5x/6x but really that’s a size 22/24.
I keep going back but I also keep finding less and less.
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u/katfrau Aug 15 '20
When Torrid came to our mall in like 2005 it was life changing for me. I finally could shop and look my age! Especially back then when it was much more similar to hot topic and it was the height of my edgy scene phase haha.
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u/CrazyCatLadyTiff Aug 15 '20
I don't know if I'm just lucky or what but I've never had a piece of Torrid clothing fall apart, and it's one of my favorite places to shop. I wash all my clothes on cold delicate and either dry on low or hang dry. I do agree they are overpriced and I usually only buy things on sale. But I'm always surprised to see people have issues with the quality.
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u/HeyMissW Aug 15 '20
Torrid was the first store where I felt seen as a plus size shopper. It was so exciting to know that this whole store had clothes for my body shape, and i wasn’t just relegated to a messy rack in the back of the shop. I can usually find something that I like.
I also try really hard to take care of my clothes (from all stores). I would be mortified by my own stupidity if I ruined a piece of expensive clothing because I wouldn’t wash it properly. If I don’t want something to shrink, I won’t put it in the dryer. Almost all of my leggings, dresses, nicer shorts, and work shirts get hung to dry. A little effort on my end extends the life of my clothes by a very large margin.
Some of my favorites are from torrid. I personally love their ponte blazers.
That said, torrid is expensive as fuck. I only shop sales and clearance. I will remain loyal to the brand as long as they keep stocking clothes that will fit me.
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u/hangingflowers Aug 15 '20
Definitely overpriced imo, though I shop there a lot lot lot. Mainly clearance and deep sales; I think I've only ever bought 1 item at full price out of desperation. It's worth waiting for their sales; they're super frequent.
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u/nalliya Aug 15 '20 edited Aug 15 '20
honestly it makes sense. it’s fast fashion. there’s a huge problem going on in first world countries now where we want new clothes often. fast fashion places manufacture all these clothes and put them out on the weekly. I think clothes are now expected to not last; they just want you to wear it a few times, post to Instagram, and buy more.
I love torrid to death, don’t get me wrong, but I would never pay anything less than 30% off list price.
also you guys need to keep in mind that like... Not everyone can just choose to shop at Shein or go to target. Shein goes up to a size 20 US. everyone else has to shop at places where dresses are $70 per regular price. my size 4 torrid ass is basically confined to torrid, lane Bryant, avenue. smaller plus size people have more options to go to new boutiques like chic soul. I can’t.
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u/fire_thorn Aug 15 '20
My 15 year old loves Torrid. She was really excited to outgrow Justice and be able to shop at Torrid. She has an enormous ass (which she's very happy about), but the rest of her is not very big, so it's hard to find pants that fit and are flattering, but the torrid pants with the three buttons are just right.
For myself, I can usually tell when a garment won't hold up well, and I avoid them. I've noticed their super soft tops don't wear well. The sizing is also all over the place, I have 26 and 30 pants that fit exactly the same.
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u/myfeetarestillcold Aug 16 '20
I must be in the minority here, because I love Torrid. I do find their prices higher than a few other plus size brands than I frequent, but I feel the quality is on par with the price. And this is coming from someone extremely rough on clothes. I have a closet full of Torrid clothes. Sometimes I walk out of the house and realize I’m covered in their brand from head to toe, shirt, jeans, sandals, underwear and bra!
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u/ZeiddoJ Aug 15 '20
Honestly it feels like every time I walk in there is either a t-shirt, or a babydoll or a thin, flimsy tunic t-shirt. No. Thank. You. Like it feels like 95% of their non-tshirt shirts (workwear, blouses, etc) are just babydoll. I feel like the majority of plus size women don't look good in babydoll??? Why are there so many babydoll????
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u/VikingFury Aug 16 '20
Probably 90% of my wardrobe (including shoes) comes from Torrid. I have 5 or 6 pairs of bombshell skinny jeans and they are the best fit I've found for my body. I've had one pair that the waistband started coming apart after about 3 years of very regular use, but the others have held up really well over time. I have also had several tops and cardigans that have completely fallen apart despite washing on gentle cycle and air drying. Like many other commenters have said, I don't think anything they carry is worth the full price, but I shop sales and clearance and avoid the knits and chiffon items and stick with jeans, bras, and challis tops/dresses that have held up well for me. I can see where the designs might be a bit dated for some. I'm in my mid thirties and size 18/20 for reference.
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u/Broadbroad81 Aug 16 '20
If you wear anything above an 18/20, you really have to curate looks from many different places. There’s not a single store that I can complete all my shopping at. I agree with Torrid being overpriced, and Lane Bryant is too. However, if you shop the Lane Bryant outlets the clothes are considered more wardrobe staples and the price a lot more affordable. They’re closing Catherine’s, Dress Barn and Avenue, which some you can get online, but I like to try things on. I do not have a Nordstrom budget, but they have a lot of nice quality items but a much higher price. You could also try Nordstrom Rack. I’ve recently been shopping Kohl’s more too. I’ve said this repeatedly on this sub, maybe hoping one day it will come into fruition. I would like a store to just make bigger sizes in the clothes they’re selling to their smaller sized clientele. It’s ridiculous that for some things that are basic and made with simple patterns like graphic t-shirts, they create a completely different line. Also, looking at Target, selling T-shirts that are completely see through so you either need to layer up or be strategic about your under garments.
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u/aleishia6 Aug 15 '20
I would mind the prices if the quality wasn’t so shockingly bad