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Torrid’s Y2K Line Criticized for Not Using Bigger Plus Size Models

September 20, 2022

Torrid’s new Y2K line called “Festi” is embracing a lot of the styles of the early 2000s like lace camisoles and flared pants. But all the models seemed to be in the range of size 10 to 12. The Internet took immediate notice.

Torrid is a plus-size clothing company that carries sizes ranging from size 10 to 30. It’s one of the few mainstream US stores to carry sizes above 20. Torrid has been criticized in the past by its customer base, feeling like the clothes styles are less on-trend. There are only so many skull prints and Disney t-shirts a plus-size woman can take.

Torrid announced the new line with a campaign all across their socials. The campaign drew fiery criticism from fat influencers on TikTok to customer reviews on the Torrid website. TikTok user @_queerauntie made a video baffled by the campaign.

Another TikTok user going by @megsforfun noticed that the other clothes used to style the new collection are oversized Torrid clothes pinned to the smaller models.

One photo adverstising a corset tank top had the model wear a pair of Torrid pants 3 sizes too big and belted the pants to give a pleated waist look. A consumer on the bigger end to Torrid’s sizing would not be able to achieve the “oversized” pant look.

“Not only is this just embarrassing and disrespectful—cause it’s not even models who wear a size 10, but it’s lazy and embarrassing for them,” she states in the video.

The new #Festi collection from @torrid is giving me early 2000 vibes, including that feeling I got as a teenager seeing cute clothes but knowing they would not look on me/work with my body type. Love #torrid just think this collection launch missed the mark

— Beth (@Glitteredfears) September 8, 2022

torrid said 'you want y2k clothes, we'll give you y2k's version of plus size' lol pic.twitter.com/KY4fvH2XUO

— endora bullshit (@collectdust) September 9, 2022

With this new collection and the trend cycle embracing early 2000s styles, some online have feared that the dieting and “thin is in” culture of the early 2000s will come back. Plus-sized content creator, @fatfabfeminist brought up this in their video about the Torrid controversy.

They are concerned that Torrid “abandoning their consumer base” and “pandering to thin people” is a bad sign for fat acceptance. As the culture shifts to early 2000s body ideals, where does that leave plus sized people?

https://www.tiktok.com/@amakaylasmith/video/7144422698410888494

Torrid following the controversy has now included more visibly plus-sized models for the Festi collection. They have added new pieces to the collection along with 2 new models.