Comfortable Pants/Jeans Recommendations for Ostomy Patients

Good morning,

I am new to the ostomy world. What pants/jeans do you all wear that are comfortable around your stoma?

Thank you!

Scrubs with elastic in the back, and a tie in front. White Stag makes comfy jeans with elastic in the back. Check out thrift stores, nice clothes and not expensive. 😸

Hello Kari and welcome :-)

My stoma is slightly below the belly button line, so my choice is for high-waisted pants or skirts.

The most comfortable ones are elasticated ones: jeans or cotton, no need to always be in sport leggings!

Personally, I do not like to feel constricted, so if the elastic is not soft enough, I prefer to size up (also helps once the bag starts to bulge).

Another option is dresses!

Yes! Dresses! I got some on clearance at a thrift store for 25 cents a piece!

I also wear high-waisted jeans and dresses. Leggings with a blouse that comes down enough to cover my butt. Welcome.

Leggings high or low rise, jeggings again high or low rise, the brand Seven has a ‘tummyless' jean that is more comfortable but looks more like traditional jeans. Traditional jeans are easier to go low rise with depending on stoma placement. I have a friend only about a month out from her ileostomy rocking regular jeans and crop shirts. She's about 6 ft tall though and has a lot more torso length than I do (she's on TikTok and IG if you ever want to see what she wears). During the warmer months, I love dresses. It really comes down to what you are comfortable wearing. I think I have a picture with my kids on my profile right now and the black/white romper I'm wearing in the picture—no one could tell when I had an ostomy bag under it. The only time I'm not a fan of rompers is traveling… not great for rest area/airplane bathrooms.

Overalls, Walmart has them.

Tight stretch pants help to hold my gear in place and are comfortable as I have a parastomal hernia, and the hernia belts are quite uncomfortable for me. I also wear longer tops to cover some indiscretions.

Super cute! Look at you all coordinated. 😃

Dungarees is the other name for them. Not entirely feminine for the ladies to wear, some people think, but they are wrong. Ideal for both sexes if you work on a farm.

Attention fashion police 👮‍♀️ !!!  - Please don't take my tight pants and/or skinny jeans away !!!  Those baggy ones will not support my hernia and the belts are excruciatingly uncomfortable… Guess it doesn't matter - at my advanced age I will just have to play my old people's card and short people's card and stoma people's card and lordy, lordy whatever comes next!

Looks good.

They are back in style right now with a lot of other 90's trends… TBD if it's been good to see overalls again.

I went into a store known for their jeans and asked with my height realistically... are me and the current styles an option, and they told me being petite to stick with skinny jeans. I feel like Audrey Hepburn always pulled off that look throughout her decades. Let me know next time I'm in FL if you want to go shopping 😃

She looks good, but when it comes time to go to the bathroom, overalls can be a headache for women.

Exactly - especially when in public - unleash them and they will mop the floor in a stall 😬🤬. JB

This is what I wore to Christmas last year 😂

I find that low-rise pants aren't comfortable and high-waisted ones aren't either. My ileostomy is right below my belly button. I had to buy some new clothes and got overalls and jumpsuits. Some of them are super cute! I even bought nightgowns because pajama pants were uncomfortable. Now I'm closer to three months post-op and can tolerate some leggings that aren't too tight. But a longer inseam is the key for me. Good luck!

I've found the under-the-belly skinny maternity jeans with the belt that clips on the belt loops and doesn't need to go in front. You can't tell they're maternity jeans, and with a longer top, you can't see the top of the bag.

Leggings and Panama pants have been my faves since I've gotten the ileo. I find jeans to be too tight on the stoma and don't allow much room as the bag is filling up through the day. I've had bags pop on me while wearing jeans. It was all trial and error for me though. Do what makes you comfortable and confident. You will learn quickly when it comes to dressing and accessorizing. I wish you the best on your journey.

Elastic high-waist pants, comfortable and give when the bag fills! They have jeans, all kinds!