Reese Rants & Raves: I Am Torrid!

Last month, Torrid gave some fashion bloggers a peek behind their curtain. And, I was there. Lucky me!

Torrid offered up a preview of their spring/summer fashions - awesome, bright, denim are just a few of the words to describe what's to come. Florals on tops, denim, jackets. Stripes on dresses - maxi and not-so maxi. Prints, whites, colors!

Fashionistas from near and far were given unprecedented access to designers, buyers and even the CEO! Who does that?! Questions, comments, likes, dislikes were all bandied about in an effort to understand Torrid customers. Most of the discussions stemmed from personal preferences - 3/4 length sleeves, ruched sleeves, cork heels. Some topics - 5" heels in particular - brought about consensus from all.

The most fascinating person I met was Liz, SVP of Product. Her passion for denim was palpable! She shared her vast knowledge of denim, which comes from years of experience working in the industry for some big names in the world of jeans. Liz and the Torrid team fit test the jeans - every size, every style. Isn't that cool? AND, we learned that each pair of jeans is hand destructed. Catch that? Each pair of jeans is hand destructed! So rad! Certainly makes me appreciate each pair of jeans more.

I was also quite fascinated by the bra guy (~~totally spaced on his name! - Yikes!~~ UPDATE 04.09.13 ~ Vince! His name is Vince!). Yes. A bra guy. He had a plane to catch, so his presentation was brief. But, boy, did he give us a lot of info! He showed us the new lace demi-bra (GET. ONE. NOW!). Some of the fashionistas did not believe a bra with two hooks could be supportive. Oh, it's supportive! And, lacy and pretty and comfortable and GET. ONE. NOW! Let me say this - it's crazy how two hooks makes me feel even sexier in a bra than lace does.

One of my favorite activities of the day was the photo shoot. What an incredible sight ~ a conference room filled with clothes! Jeans hanging on the wall to the left; shoes, bras and accessories displayed on tables; tees, tops, jackets and such on racks. Kinda heavenly.

::SIDE BAR:: I am in my mid-40's. I also stand 6'2" without shoes. I've learned to live with too-short jeans and cuffs. It's just a fact of my fashion life. At the event, one of the fashionistas in attendance was seriously rockin' Torrid's rose print jeans. I admired from afar, having already written off sporting a pair of my own if for no other reason than the jeans were too young for me. ::end SIDE BAR::

The first outfit I picked out was pretty much the same thing I wore to the event ~ tee + blazer. I put it back on the rack and grabbed one of the fabulous Lords of Liverpool lyric tees. Super soft material, slightly oversized and quite eye-catching, I couldn't resist. With a Bowie lyric to boot! I knew this shirt would join the other 2 tees already in my closet.

I was ready to go! But was stopped by Torrid team member, Nicole. She wanted me to try on their oh-so-popular Stiletto jeans. I told Nicole that I had tried them on but, alas, they were too short. The zipper detail at the ankle (well, it was on my calf) prevented cuffing. So, Nicole brought over the rose print denim. I put 'em on, great fit, a bit short, but able to be cuffed. I confessed that I was much too old to wear the jeans. She did that you're-kidding-me-right head tilt thing and was persuaded to keep them on for my photo shoot.

By the time my photo shoot and interview were finished, I was in love with the jeans. After the event, I sat in my car and ordered a pair online!

I met some fun and lovely and fashionable ladies ~ what a great group of gals to share the day! WE are Torrid :)