I wrote a post awhile back about what you can wear if you have an ostomy. Long story short, you can wear whatever you want. I thought that today I would dive back into this topic, more about tips on how to wear what you want.
I think the best way to show you is to give you a glimpse into my wardrobe and my day-to-day outfits. I’m no fashion blogger and also you’re about to see some high-quality bathroom mirror selfies because that’s how I roll. I really just want to give you a sense of the different styles you can wear and how your wardrobe doesn’t have to be dictated by your ostomy.
The first thing you need to know is that I wear ostomy wraps daily. I cannot live without them. They are amazing. You’re able to hide your bag and keep it tucked in and this allows you to wear just about anything. It also keeps the end of the bag from chaffing against my leg. Tip: maternity bags can also work as an ostomy wrap, they don’t have the pocket that the original ostomy wrap has, but you can fold it and it works pretty much the same.
Most of my clothes are from Old Navy, Target, and TJ Maxx. Occasionally I’ve found some cool items at consignment shops. I’m probably going to mention Old Navy A LOT, but I’m in no way affiliated with them, I just love their stuff and they always have a good sale.
Monday:
Old Navy dress and Target shoes. This is the Fitted Crew-Neck Tee Dress and I have it in two patterns and will probably add more to my closet. This dress is super comfy, but be warned, it’s more form fitting, which means, when your ostomy bag fills up you can see the bulge. This doesn’t get in my way. If I’m sitting down at my desk no one knows but me and when it fills up I just go to the bathroom to empty it. A simple proper hand placement in front of me disguises the bulge, or I just carry my sweater in front of me.
Tuesday:
Old Navy top, Old Navy white jeans, and Target shoes. These flowy tops are fantastic, super flattering and forgiving and perfect for hiding ostomy bags even when they are full. As you can see below you can view how I wear my wrap and how it makes it easy to wear with pants. The waist of my pants is not uncomfortable around my ostomy one bit.
Wednesday:
Old Navy top, Old Navy pants, and Payless shoes. Someone once told me don’t tell people you got your shoes at Payless. I’m not a snob and I appreciate a good bargain. So yeah, I bought these shoes at Payless for $10. In case you missed that, I said Payless. Anyway, back to my outfit. Peplum tops are another forgiving style that is easy to dress up and dress down. The pants come up to my waist, and once again, not uncomfortable at all with my ostomy.
Thursday:
Old Navy dress, H&M cardigan, and Payless shoes. This is the Fit & Flare Cami dress and I have it in at least 10 different patterns and colors. This one is my favorite print, I call it my Florida dress. It reminds me of Blanche Devereaux’s bedroom. If you don’t know who Blanche Devereaux is, we can’t be friends. The fabric flares out above the ostomy which is a plus. Anyway, whenever they have this style on sale I usually snag another dress. I can dress them up for work or dress down for casual weekends.
Friday:
Old Navy Jeggings, Old Navy tunic, and Target shoes. I’m ashamed to say that I have only recently discovered jeggings and let me tell you something, total game changer. I love wearing jeans, I find them so comfortable and easy. Jeggings? Even easier. The waistband is elastic, so the top is like leggings and the rest is just like a normal pair of jeans. Now I have this stretchy waist around my ostomy, which is FANTASTIC. Tunics are another favorite of mine, they are flattering and comfortable, two things I look for when buying clothes. I’m all for comfort.
Date Night:
Old Navy Top, Old Navy Jeggings, Target Shoes. I could have worn what I wore to work for date night, but my top was dirty, so I felt like changing. I love this top, and yes this is a tropical print on the first official day of Fall, but I live in Florida and we wear sandals year-round.
The Weekend:
Old Navy Denim Shorts, Old Navy Top, Wal Mart button-down top. Living in Florida I wear shorts year round. The easiest thing to do is throw on a top and shorts. I bought the purple top pictured above at Wal Mart for my photo shoot two years ago. You can see it on the About Me page. I was lazy and didn’t change the wrap for this picture, normally I would wear one of my white ones when wearing something lighter.
Old Navy Top, Old Navy Jeggings, Target Shoes. Let’s be real, on Sunday I stayed in my pajamas until noon and only got dressed because we had plans to meet our friends for an afternoon of bowling and Thai food for dinner. Once I’m home, I go right back into my pajamas, even if I’m going out later. It only takes me two minutes to get dressed.
I hope you enjoyed this groundbreaking glimpse into my wardrobe. I really just wanted to showcase the different outfits you can wear without thinking about your ostomy. Let me know if you have any questions, I’m always happy to discuss.
[…] Adventures in Fashion: Part Deux […]