5 ostomy fashion tips & tricks!

Hi Comfizz readers!

I’m Amy & I’m 27 from Yorkshire, UK.

Today I am going to do a post on 5 ostomy fashion tips & tricks that work well for me. I hope you find some inspiration from this post, and please don’t hesitate to get in touch at hashtagstomabags@gmail.com if any IBD/ostomy questions spring to mind.

1. Comfizz, of course!

Since having my ileostomy formed in 2011 I have sworn by Comfizz garments in everyday life. The trusty 10″ level 1 waistband is a staple garment in my underwear drawer & you can tell how much the product means to me by how many I own! The waistbands give me so much confidence to wear the clothes I love, alongside providing that extra layer for added security, and to bide you some time if you get a dreaded ostomy bag leak. The limited edition Valentine’s pink from a few years ago is a personal favourite of mine! I was worried at first that the waistband would stop my stoma working, but the material is designed to be stretchy yet supportive, whilst allowing the stoma to pass output as normal. I also own some of the vests, which I use a lot in winter, & find the high waisted briefs very comfy & flattering.

2. High waisted garments

High waisted clothes take up a lot of my wardrobe & allow me to experiment with lots of different fashion ideas with an ostomy, whilst giving me confidence. I have a “go to” look with high waisted bottoms & wear high waisted skirts/smart trousers for work most days. A lot of choosing jeans/trousers/skirts with a stoma comes down to where your ostomy sits in relation to your waist. Some people have higher stomas, where as others sit low. Mine isn’t too much lower than my belly button as you can see in the photo above, so high waisted jeans work a treat for me, with my Comfizz waistband underneath to help smooth out any bag bulges until I can empty my ostomy bag. I definitely recommend trying before buying with jeans especially, as one size in one shop can be a completely different fit in another, and it is also important to see if they feel just too tight around your stoma. I always sit down and bend down when trying on jeans to see just how comfortable I’m going to feel. Here are a few of my “go to” looks with high waisted garments:

3. Skater dresses & skirts

I am a HUGE fan of these! They are a winner especially on days where I need that little bit of extra confidence or days where my ostomy output is very liquid or more active & I might not be able to get to the toilet as quick as I usually would, such as when during meetings for work or when I visit clients out of office. They are also good to wear to concerts when you know the toilet queues will be quite something & you don’t have a Radar key. Skater skirts with a pattern are a super safe option for me as you’ve got the flow of the bottom of the dress and the pattern too to help disguise bag bulges. I also like tighter fitting clothes, so the fact that the top half of the dress is hugging enables me to still wear what I love.

4. Prints

Prints on any garment are fantastic for distracting attention from your bag and any bag bulges that might appear. At the moment I like some of the animal prints that are in fashion such as snake print as pictured in one of the photos. I also love floral patterns & tartan too. If you didn’t want to go all over print, you could wear a printed high waisted skirt and a plain top. One of my favourite looks is to wear a black long sleeved top with a floral skirt.

5. Layers

Layers are a great way to help build your confidence if you wanted to give a crop top with some high waisted jeans a go, for example. As you can see in the photo below, I tried this with a yellow top, and wore a patterned jacket over the top that I could either wear open or wrap around me if I felt too insecure once I got out. You can use things such as cardigans, jackets or kimonos. You can also use a shirt as an extra layer which you can then take off and tie around your waist if needed. Layers are also good if you don’t actually want to push yourself out of your comfort zone. You don’t have to try a crop top, or this might not be your style at all. If not, that’s completely fine! Layers are still a great way to give you extra confidence and almost give you an extra blanket of security! If you’re having troubles with leaks, this can also be handy to have a shirt over the top of your outfit that you can wrap around you if needed if the leaks seep through your clothes until you can change!