CONTAINS GIFTED ITEMS IN EXCHANGE FOR REVIEW
Today is part 2 of our accessible fashion series! You can find part 1 here.
My name is Natalie and I blog at www.thespooniemummy.com. I write about my life and parenting with chronic illnesses. These include Rheumatoid Arthritis, iritis and Crohn’s Disease, for which I have an ileostomy.
I had been planning a post about dressing with an ostomy when I was contacted by SimplyBe who wanted to send me some clothes. I obviously jumped at the chance and we selected some pieces that would highlight my advice points.
In my mind, SimplyBe has always been a plus size brand. However, they actually stock in size 10 and above and embrace all sizes and curves in a positive, fashion-forward way. I love this positive body image message which was one reason I was pleased to get the chance to work with them.
Ostomy surgery obviously has a very physical impact on a person, but less often talked about is the effect it has on your mental health and body image. For me, the physical implications were much easier to accept as I had been so very poorly, and life with my ostomy has seen me become much more healthy. One thing I did struggle with, was as a just turned thirty year old woman, how do I remain stylish, confident and most importantly, me?
After allowing time to recover from the physical effects of surgery and finding out which stoma products suited me, I was back into a routine and feeling more like myself. In a fit of what can only be described as post surgery hysterics following being discharged, I had emptied my wardrobe of any jeans and shorter style tops which I thought I would never wear again and given them to a charity shop. This really wasn’t necessary but did give me a fresh start and an excuse to go shopping.
Leggings – Is That It?
I was worried that I would be stuck in leggings for the rest of my life but this wasn’t true. However, leggings do look good ad feel really comfortable. I also have some thick black tights which are obviously slightly more lightweight than leggings. They can be comfortably worn under the bag, or you can buy high-waisted ones which come up over your bag.
I love tea dresses like this and in the cooler weather they look great over tights and leggings. The dress is loose around the bag so isn’t restrictive and pattern works well to disguise any lumps or bumps it may cause. I have worn this with and without a small belt cinching me in at the waist. I think the belt gives it a slightly smarter look and as it lies above my bag, does not get uncomfortable or restrictive. I am a size 10-12 and the dresses start at size 12. The fit is perfect and rally comfortable.
I also chose this swing dress in leopard print. Simply Be has lots of different animal print items available at the moment which is right on trend!Again, the pattern on the dress helps disguise anything that may be sticking out and is is also loose and comfortable. Due to my Crohn’s Disease I also suffer from terrible bloating and this style of dress is so forgiving – even when I look six months pregnant underneath!
SHOP LEGGINGS ON SIMPLY BE
SHOP DRESSES ON SIMPLY BE
SHOP LEOPARD PRINT SWING DRESS (£16)
Trousers – Do They Have To Be High Waisted?
In short, no! High waisted are a great option if you are comfortable wearing them over your bag. I tend to size up a little to give myself that extra bit of room as the bag fills, but not so big that they are baggy and look ridiculous! I find that jeans and jeggings with a little stretch to them are also better than really rigid, thick denim which can be very restrictive.
I chose these black, wide legged culottes as they are also really popular at the moment. They are perfect for this in-between weather we have been having! They can be worn comfortably under or over my bag depending on how I feel and what I am wearing them with.
These are super comfortable and can be dressed up or down. They are also available in a variety of different designs and as I have said before, a patterned fabric is great for disguising any lumps and bumps from the bag. They also have more tailored versions which would be perfect if you are looking for work wear.
SHOP TROUSERS ON SIMPLY BE
SHOP BLACK WIDE LEG CULOTTES (£25)
I hope this has given some of you with ostomies some helpful tips, I am sure you know lots more, so please leave them in the comments so everyone can read them! Thank you to Simply Be for helping with this post – it has been great to discover a new place to shop with some amazing pieces which are also priced so well.Please feel free to drop me an email at thespooniemummy@hotmail.com if you have any specific questions and I will try and help.
You are absolutely right – there is no need to throw out ALL your clothes when you have any type of ostomy, and once all the post op swelling goes down then you should be able to still wear most of your pre-op clothes. Hipster jeans might be an exception – unless you are wearing longer tops (then why bother with low cut jeans?) or alternatively if you belong to those who like to show their stoma bag. Personally thats not me. It is quite possible you will be comfortable wearing those slim fit dresses in time – but not everyone has the bodycon.
One tip for the warmer weather – I have built up a collection of cotton with lycra cropped leggings and trousers or jersey cropped trousers and shorts over the past 33 years. Wear with all my loose fitting tunics, shirts, Tshirts etc. there is room for the bag to fill up without squishing off. Pockets help as well – they ease the fit over the hips. Patterened crops or loose fitting wide leg palazzo trousers all disguise any bag fear you may have.
Another thing I find really helpful is to remember that everyone else is not looking at my stoma bag – just me. So wear a smile and highlight another area of your body or face instead. I wear bold jewellery, carry great handbags, have pretty shoes and look after my hair and nails. Its all about confidence.
Well done. You look fab. I love the dress.
Great blogWish someone gave me new clothes! Hard to find size 2’s.
A wonderful post! I have always had a terrible body image problem since my first of three ileostomy operations, I suffer with painful rheumatoid arthritis helped by taking regular doses of Methotrexate (chemotherapy), have suffered painful kidney stones, and almost dying in California of sepsis. God is not ready for me quite yet!
As far as clothing is concerned, I tend to wear my jeans high in order to avoid any seams hitting my stoma which is painful, and everything has an amount of Lycra in order to keep my bag in place. (I have also discovered pretty underwear and always buy panties which will hide the bag and hold me in.).
I am very conscious of any lumps and bumps which might show and tend to choose appropriate fabrics which disguise what I call my ugly bits! Often, a loose low slung wide belt hides a multitude of sins!
In all of the above, I am lucky to be alive, I have the best most understanding husband who helps me deal with horrendous bag leaks (which are fairly often) and I too, smile for the world so nobody could possibly know what is going on behind the scenes!
For everyone out there who has survived an ostomy, I salute you!
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