I just had surgery a few weeks ago to have my third ileostomy put in and I am determined to be more comfortable with this one and not let it interfere too much with my love of fashion. My biggest fear now that spring break is nearing was a swimsuit. I ordered one from Lands End (at the advise of another person here on this site) and I have to say I think this will really work! It totally covers me without being to granny-ish. I though I'd share some of the research with the ladies here who are interested. Here's the link for the swimsuit:

http://www.landsend.com/pp/Bea...0000134&origin=index

I paired this with one of their higher waisted bottoms. I ordered black and it seems to hide any bumps. I have some other good finds too if anyone is interested! Let me know.

Yes! share away. I'm sure many of us would love some great fashion finds. I have struggles with jeans mainly because all that I owned previously were low cut. I thought anything higher cut would look really old lady. But I've found that midrise on a trouser jean look really cute. I found some great ones at Kohl's for $14 being clearanced out.

Jeans have been really hard for me to find too. I actually bought a pair of Old Navy maternity jeans and they are really comfortable and keep everything flat. Since all my shirts need to be a little longer it covers the front panel and no one knows my jeans are maternity!

I bought this shirt and you can totally wear it with the maternity jeans (It's not as low cut as it looks in this picture):
http://www.express.com/catalog...Id=3&subCategoryId=3

This top from j crew is longer than it looks in the photo and it runs big. I ordered a small and I usually wear a medium.
http://www.jcrew.com/index.jsp...be8a75512a628a3eacba

This top from ann taylor loft is also longer than it looks in the photo and black is always a favorite of mine. The ruching is perfect too. This can also work over the maternity jeans:
http://www.anntaylorloft.com/c...eFromCategory=Misses

If anyone else has any good finds please post them!!
KC

What a great thread!

I just wear ordinary jeans (not really low rise though). I wear close fitting lycra underwear and wear my bag acrossy my tummy instead of down my leg which keeps everything nice and snug and distributes the load so you don't get that lopsided feeling. This way I can wear any type of tops, long or short, as everything is flat to my tummy anyway.

Of course it helps that Wee Willie (my end ileo) is quite low (2 ins across and 4 ins down from my belly button) so I'm not restricted like those of you who have higher placed stomas.

So my fashion tip is get some good supportive lycra underwear and wear your bag at an angle. This will mean you can expand your wardrobe to more or less whatever you want to wear. I even wear close fitting skirts and dresses and no one can see anything.

Keep those ideas coming.

Shell

Shell, You're right about the lycra underwear - I wear the boy shorts and their perfect!

Jane (aka Mack)

I must admit that getting my new ostomy last year has been great new excuse to get a whole new wardrobe that even my husband can't argue against because he wants me to be comfortable and look good. I am cheap though, so when summer comes I snap up all the winter clothes on sale and do the same when winter in here.

okay i don't actually have an ostomy again until the 1st of april BUT i think i found some pants that are going to work out great...it's always hard to find pants because the waistband would hit the stoma or cut off the bag in a bad place...and finding high-waisted and stretchy pants can be tough. well i got a pair of stretchy black yoga pants at american eagle and they roll over at the top, like a turtleneck would. i can unroll the material and then the pants go up almost to my bra! and the material is so soft and stretchy- it should give the same effect as wearing the high-waisted lycra underwear ....and as long as i wear a long enough tshirt and it is not see-through then i think this will look good.

i really like KC's maternity pants idea too- i bet they have some trendy jeans at some maternity stores hmmm.....

i also think you could wear cute, short dresses that have empire waists...or with tights underneath for extra support/warmth...it is easier for girls to dress around an ostomy i think....buying skirts is easy because you can hike them up and just wear a long top over it and nobody knows the difference...i used to do that a lot with my temp. ostomy. and the best part was that i am short so hiking it up made it the right length lol.

Would agree lycra underwear is a good thing to invest in Tights are good too as give extra support and there is much choice now, footless ,coloured & patterned Long vests are handy too as can wear them under shirts etc.

I wear a long stretch cotton cami with EVERYTHING!! I got some at Old Navy that are great. I love them, because even if my pants start hanging low, or if I reach up and my shirt hikes up, my friend is still covered. Also, it keeps the twins nice and high where they like to be. Lovely.

Thanks for this post. What fun!

life has become SO much brighter over here since I started wearing a bodysuit/unitard underneath my clothing. I wear it everyday now over my undies and underneath my clothing-it keeps the bag flat to my body and I can literally wear ANYTHING with it-including all of my super low rise jeans and tight fitting tops that I had previously had stuck in the back of my closet thinking I would never be able to wear them again until I have my reversal. This is the bodysuit that I wear: http://www.danskin.com/camisol...rd-2066.html#danskin or this one in cotton: http://www.danskin.com/women-d...ra-1142.html#danskin I hope someone can find this useful...

Rachel...are these the snap in the crotch kind, or just pull on?

I used to wear those with my first ileostomy but hvaen't been able to find them since I've had Wee Willie. They are really good at giving you a nice smooth line even if you don't have an ostomy. I might just see if they'll deliver to the UK. Thanks for the link Rachel.

Cataja, the ones I wore had either snap or velcro crotch fastenings.

Shell

How far down does your ostomy bag hang down? I've seen a bunch of posts about using spandex underwear to hold in the bag, but wouldn't the bag hang out the bottom? Or is everyone wearing theirs sideways?

hi, these actually don't open on the bottom-the only negative-but I haven't been able to find any that do open...getting undressed to pee or empty my bag is a small sacrifice for me

Hi...
I found this on JCPenny.com it's called the
Va Bien Wire-Free Body Briefer and it said it has adjustable cotton-lined hook-and-eye panty closure.....look under womans lingerie..>...shapewear. I tried to add the link but it did not work!
These are a nice idea, but wouldn't it be a little too warm to use in the summertime?