A rotor blade for a gas turbine engine including an inner ply layer group includes a flared region and an airfoil region, a neck region between the flared region and the airfoil region; and a platform shell that comprises a platform shell root region, a platform shell platform region, and a platform shell neck region between the platform shell root region and the platform shell platform region, the platform shell root region sheathes the flared region, and the platform shell neck region flares outwardly away from the neck region to intersect the platform shell platform region at a platform shell neck region perimeter around an airfoil opening perimeter.