I've been obsessed with all things Torrid as of late.  Well, really it has been quite some time.  Torrid keeps coming out with cute, fashionable, trendy pieces for a variety of tastes and body shapes.  I consistently find things I love and want and need to buy there.

I recently bought a jacket online that was perfectly fitted to my body, but I wanted something a little looser fitting.  When I returned the jacket (which I did buy a size larger and it is exactly what I wanted), I took some time to look through the store and try a few things on.  I rarely get an opportunity to visit a store these days.   One of the employees was a gorgeous redhead wearing the top in this post.  I found it in my size and had to have it!




The Floral Print Strappy Cold Shoulder Top (on clearance for $23.34 right now!!) is one that I saw online and skipped over.  I liked the print and color combination, but it was in a style that seemed to have more fitted sleeves from looking at the online photo.  I'm a huge fan of this off-the-shoulder style of top, having bought quite a few items with this neckline this spring/summer.  They make me feel so sexy and feminine and pretty.  When I saw how beautiful it was on the Torrid employee, I knew I needed to try it on.


The fabric is a rayon/spandex blend, so it is knit and stretchy, lightweight and a bit slinky.  It feels good against the skin.  It moves well with my body and doesn't cling to things.  The body of the top is more of a swing style, so there is room for my hips and tummy.  I am wearing a size 3 and find it fits true to size.  The floral pattern is so pretty with shades of turquoise, burgundy, warm yellow, olive, and pale pink on a navy background.  I love the strappy detail at the neckline also.  It gives it a little something extra without taking away from the print.  The straps of the top are adjustable, which really helps because I have a smaller chest and need to shorten the straps.  While the sleeves aren't too oversized, they accommodate my larger upper arms with room to spare and drape just slightly at the top.


As you can see from the photos, the top is also a little bit longer in length and hits me right around the top of the thigh.  I love this length because it will pretty much go with everything, but can also be easily tucked and bloused.  I'm keeping my eyes on the possibility of other prints in this style because I would gladly buy more.

Like I said, I have been all about this off-the-shoulder style this summer.  I've talked about how I vowed to work on going sleeveless this summer (which I have).  I think off-the-shoulder tops in general are a great first step to working up to going sleeveless, or a nice compromise if you still want some arm coverage.  Showing some skin at the neckline also keeps things light and open and draws the eye to your face.  For me, this helps balance my pear-shaped body.  I think I look best in open necklines.  A top that is more fitted at my bust and flares out tends to balance me out a bit more.

I feel like I am terrible at giving my posts a title, and with "Blossoming" I was going to make a big flowery hat joke or something "Blossom" related.  Points if you loved Blossom!  But then I felt like it meant more than that to me.  These last few years have been a huge turning point in my life where I've really become comfortable with myself and my body, and learned so many lessons about people and myself.  I've always felt I knew more about who I am than my peers knew about themselves.  I had to be strong at an early age for multiple reasons, none of them particularly pleasant.  Despite lessons about life I learned early on, I was still a very shy, self-conscious, depressed, and anxious person.  It wasn't really until the last few years that I felt like I was blossoming into more of who I really am and becoming fully confident in who that person is.  I still have days where I'm not so confident.  I'm human after all; but those days are far more limited than they used to be.  I'm grateful to have the opportunities to learn and grow, and grateful I can be fully present and happy in my body.

I wore this outfit out to lunch with my cousin a couple weeks ago, and again to a winery picnic.  It is just easy and effortless and comfortable, but makes me feel so pretty.  For the winery, I wore my blue sandals in this same style to change it up a bit.  I also donned a pale pink and gold flower crown that matched the top well.

Floral Print Strappy Cold Shoulder Top - Torrid (on clearance now!)
Roll-Cuff Denim Short by Melissa McCarthy Seven7 - Lane Bryant  (similar, similar, similar)
Anna Ankle Strap Gladiator Sandal - Crocs



The Stoller Family Estate Winery is always our last stop for our annual wine tour.  Nigel and I have chosen to celebrate our birthdays jointly with friends on this tour and always have a blast.  Stoller wines are just fantastic!  Last year, Nigel became a member of their wine club, so when they announced this picnic event he invited Sean and I, along with his boyfriend Joaquin.  We had such a wonderful time tasting the wines at the various tents set up.  You could go back for tastes as many times as you liked.  They also had a tasty lunch with a baguette sandwich, chips, and a side salad of your choice.  There was a great band playing also.  We laid down our blanket under a big tree and just relaxed and enjoyed our afternoon.  As we were leaving, they also had cookies and coffee.  Despite the warmer weather, it was a lovely day!