Torrid Holdings
Torrid Holdings is an American specialty retailer focused on women's plus-size clothing, accessories, and related merchandise.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Torrid Holdings Inc. is the corporate entity behind Torrid, an American specialty retail business serving women who generally wear sizes 10 through 30. The company operates in the plus-size apparel segment, offering clothing, accessories, footwear, jewelry, intimate apparel, hosiery, gifts, beauty products, and novelty-oriented merchandise. Its retail proposition is built around fashion designed specifically for plus-size customers rather than treating extended sizing as a small supplement to a standard-size assortment. Torrid began operations in April 2001, when its first store opened at Brea Mall in Brea, California. The business was originally associated with Hot Topic, another specialty retailer, but it developed a merchandise identity distinct from its parent company. In 2005, Torrid broadened and differentiated its assortment from Hot Topic, establishing a clearer focus on women's fashion and plus-size fit. The business remained connected to Sycamore Partners, the investment firm that also owns Hot Topic, while Torrid evolved into a separate operating identity. The retailer's assortment spans fashion tops, pants, capri pants, shorts, skirts, dresses, outerwear, shoes, intimate apparel, hosiery, jewelry, accessories, beauty products, gifts, and novelty T-shirts. This broad range allows Torrid to serve both everyday wardrobe needs and occasion-led or trend-led shopping. Its branding and marketing have also emphasized visibility for plus-size women through dedicated models, customer participation, and fashion events. Torrid appointed Georgina Burke as its first named face in February 2014 and signed Philomena Kwao as a second face later that year. In 2015, it introduced a public casting call and model search that attracted more than 14,000 applicants; Lyanna Lynette was selected as the winner. Model-search programs continued through 2019 and were restarted in 2024. Torrid also staged its first fashion show during New York Fashion Week in September 2017, an effort that placed its size-inclusive fashion proposition in a broader fashion-industry setting. The company expanded outside the United States with its first international store in Toronto, Canada, in August 2015. By 2024, Torrid had more than 650 stores across all U.S. states and in some Canadian regions, alongside a substantial digital business. In July 2021, Torrid Holdings became a public company on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CURV. In June 2025, the company announced plans to close 180 stores, representing approximately 30 percent of its retail footprint. The decision was associated with the expiration of more than half of its retail leases during that year and the increasing importance of online commerce; first-quarter 2025 reporting indicated that more than 60 percent of sales were generated online. The store reductions marked a significant shift in the balance between Torrid's physical retail network and its digital channel. Torrid Holdings therefore combines a large established store estate with an increasingly central e-commerce operation, while continuing to compete in specialized women's plus-size apparel.
History
Torrid began operations in April 2001 with the opening of its first store at Brea Mall in Brea, California. The business was established as a women's specialty retailer associated with Hot Topic and was designed to address the apparel needs of plus-size customers. Its core customer range is generally described as women's sizes 10 through 30. From the outset, the concept differed from a conventional department-store extended-size department by making plus-size fashion the central purpose of the retail business. During its early development, Torrid was connected to Hot Topic and operated within the ownership structure associated with Sycamore Partners. In 2005, the retailer expanded its merchandise selection and established styles distinct from Hot Topic. This separation helped Torrid build its own identity around women's apparel, accessories, and fashion rather than the youth-culture orientation associated with its parent company's retail concept. The product range grew to include fashion tops, pants, capri pants, shorts, skirts, dresses, outerwear, intimate apparel, hosiery, footwear, jewelry, accessories, novelty T-shirts, gifts, and beauty products. The breadth of the assortment positioned Torrid as a full wardrobe and lifestyle destination for its target customer. Its retail and marketing activity also increasingly presented plus-size women as the primary audience and subjects of fashion imagery. Torrid developed a visible model and customer-participation program during the 2010s. Georgina Burke was named the company's first face in February 2014 under a one-year contract. Philomena Kwao became a second face in December 2014. In 2015, Torrid opened a public casting call and model search, inviting customers to compete to represent the brand. More than 14,000 people auditioned, and Lyanna Lynette was selected. The company continued model searches through 2019 and restarted the program in 2024. Torrid held its first fashion show at New York Fashion Week in September 2017, giving the retailer a platform beyond its own stores and website. International expansion began with the opening of Torrid's first international store in Toronto, Canada, in August 2015. The company continued to operate primarily in North America. By 2024, its store network exceeded 650 locations across the United States and included stores in some Canadian regions. Its physical network was complemented by an online channel that became increasingly important to the business. In July 2021, Torrid Holdings entered the public markets through a listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CURV. The listing made the corporate owner of the Torrid retail operation a publicly traded company while the business continued to operate as a specialized women's plus-size retailer. A major later change came in June 2025, when Torrid announced plans to close 180 stores, roughly 30 percent of its retail footprint. The announcement cited the expiration of more than half of the company's retail leases during the year and the increasing weight of digital commerce. First-quarter 2025 reporting indicated that over 60 percent of sales were online. The planned closures represented a strategic resizing of the physical network rather than the end of the brand, leaving Torrid with a more digitally oriented operating model and a smaller store base. Across its history, Torrid has therefore moved from a Hot Topic-associated store concept to a distinct, nationally scaled and publicly listed plus-size fashion retailer, while maintaining a strong emphasis on dedicated fit, broad product selection, and representation of its target customers.
- 2025
Store network reduction announced
[1]Torrid announced plans to close 180 stores, approximately 30 percent of its retail footprint, amid lease expirations and the increasing share of online sales.
- 2024
Model search program restarts
[1]Torrid restarted its customer-facing model search program after the earlier series of searches had run through 2019.
- 2021
Torrid Holdings lists on the NYSE
[1]Torrid Holdings became publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker CURV.
- 2017
First New York Fashion Week show
[1]Torrid presented its first fashion show during New York Fashion Week.
- 2015
International retail expansion and public model search
[1]Torrid opened its first international store in Toronto and held its first public casting call and model search, which attracted more than 14,000 applicants.
- 2014
First named brand face appointed
[1]Georgina Burke was named Torrid's first face in February; Philomena Kwao was signed as a second face in December.
- 2005
Merchandise identity expands beyond Hot Topic
[1]Torrid expanded its merchandise selection and developed styles differentiated from its parent company, Hot Topic.
- 2001
Torrid begins operations
[1]Torrid began operations in April, opening its first location at Brea Mall in Brea, California.
Products and positioning
A specialty, size-inclusive women's fashion retailer focused on plus-size customers, with an assortment spanning everyday apparel, trend-led fashion, intimates, footwear, accessories, and lifestyle merchandise.
Apparel · 2001
Women's plus-size apparel
Torrid's core offering is women's fashion in plus sizes, generally spanning sizes 10 through 30. The assortment includes fashion tops, pants, capri pants, shorts, skirts, dresses, and outerwear. The business is organized around dedicated plus-size fit and styling rather than treating larger sizes as a limited extension of a standard-size line.
Apparel
Intimate apparel and hosiery
Torrid sells intimate apparel and hosiery as part of its broader wardrobe assortment. These categories extend the brand beyond casual and occasion clothing and support a more complete plus-size apparel proposition.
Accessories
Shoes, jewelry, and accessories
The retailer's accessories business includes shoes, jewelry, and other fashion accessories. These products complement its apparel ranges and allow customers to assemble coordinated outfits through the Torrid retail and online channels.
Lifestyle merchandise
Gifts, beauty products, and novelty T-shirts
Torrid also offers gifts, beauty products, and novelty T-shirts. These categories add lower-commitment and lifestyle-oriented merchandise to the core clothing assortment and broaden the occasions for customer purchases.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024Torrid Model Search restart
United States
Torrid restarted its model-search program in April 2024 after conducting searches through 2019.
Outcome. The restart renewed the brand's customer-participation approach to model selection.
- 2015Torrid Model Search
United States
Torrid invited customers to apply and audition in a public casting call to become the brand's next face. More than 14,000 people participated, and Lyanna Lynette was selected.
Outcome. The program created a customer-led representation platform and became a recurring model-search initiative.
Brand decisions
2025
Reduce the physical store footprintStrategyBackground
More than half of Torrid's retail leases were expected to expire during 2025, while first-quarter reporting indicated that more than 60 percent of sales were online.
Action taken
Torrid announced plans to close 180 stores, representing approximately 30 percent of its retail footprint.
Aftermath
The announcement indicated a shift toward a smaller store estate and a more digitally weighted operating model.
2021
Public listing under CURVOtherBackground
Torrid Holdings transitioned from a privately held retail company to a publicly traded enterprise.
Action taken
The company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CURV in July.
Aftermath
Torrid Holdings became subject to public-market reporting and trading while continuing to operate the Torrid retail business.
2015
Enter the Canadian marketStrategyBackground
After building its U.S. retail presence, Torrid pursued international expansion.
Action taken
The company opened its first international store in Toronto, Canada, in August.
Aftermath
Torrid established a retail presence outside the United States while remaining primarily North American.
2005
Differentiate Torrid's merchandise from Hot TopicStrategyBackground
Torrid had been associated with Hot Topic, but the business needed a clearer independent identity in women's plus-size retail.
Action taken
The company expanded its merchandise selection with styles distinct from those of Hot Topic.
Aftermath
Torrid developed a more clearly defined women's fashion and plus-size retail proposition.
Recent events
- 2025
Torrid announces plans to close 180 stores[1]
Other
The company announced that it would close 180 stores, approximately 30 percent of its retail footprint. The decision followed the expected expiration of more than half of its retail leases and reflected the growing contribution of online sales.
- 2021
Torrid Holdings goes public on the New York Stock Exchange[1]
Other
Torrid Holdings became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker CURV.
Sources1 sources
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