Finding a Dress for a Wedding with a Transverse Ostomy

Hi again! I was browsing through Coldwater Creek and thought of you. You could look for a pretty, flowing topper that you could wear over a dress of your choosing. From your description, it sounds like we are the same height and maybe size. You'll find something. Just don't rule out the bridal shops, all sections (don't skip mother of the bride - they have some great young styles). Coldwater Creek has some nice toppers. I always check the reviews.

I would recommend an empire waist dress.

It's an easy one; just buy an empire waist dress. They're much more feminine, and they flatter anyone, and no one will ever know you have an ostomy. Cheers, Shawn.

Go online and check out JJ's House. It has a multitude of amazing dresses and pantsuits in any color you want. You can even pay $10 to try out 4 styles and send back the ones you don't want. They are specially made, so you can custom-fit the clothes to your measurements.

I recently wore a dressy pantsuit to a wedding. Elastic waist on the pants for comfort. The top was the tunic type with the bottom hem past my hips - very loose and lacy and fell from the shoulder with a few layers of material. Wish I could tell you where I got it, but back when I was looking, there were dozens of choices in a huge variety of colors online. I chose navy, thinking the darker color might hide any little bumps or ridges. I was incredibly comfortable, and I don't think anyone noticed anything at all.

My Ostomy Journey: LeeAnne | Hollister

https://www.jjshouse.com/a-line-scoop-illusion-asymmetrical-lace-chiffon-mother-of-the-bride-dress-with-cascading-ruffles-008261975-g261975?currency=USD&utm_term=261975&utm_size=16&country=US&country=US¤cy=USD&ggntk=x&ggkey=&ggtgt=8&ggplm=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4v6-BhDuARIsALprm33wJH_06mM0gPX71VdzMbzw7e5E--ApsMAfGOnRFjiIrPJ3LcIpdSgaAoXlEALw_wcB#/

I am with you! A traverse loop in my bridge, above the belly button and to the right a bit. It has grown in the last 7 months and herniated (which my surgeon said both would happen), but I have now entered into "I am having a really hard time hiding it" land. I have done wraps, belts, etc., and now that it is getting warmer, I wear tighter clothes. It is hard; I feel your pain! You will find something; look for flowy. Have fun!

The Bridgerton empire waist is pretty ideal!

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Hi there, I'm 5'9” and wear XL or 1X with a colostomy two inches left of my belly button that sticks out quite a bit. I love lightweight kimonos (not real long ones) in the summer and heavier kimonos or ruanas in the winter. I wear skirts with elastic waistbands and cotton sleeveless tops under the kimonos. I also have dressy black pants with elastic waistbands. The kimonos don't completely hide the bulge, but they do a good job of camouflaging it. Good luck - I hope you find something you like.

I have a high colostomy, and I, too, find patterned fabrics are best to provide camouflage for the ostomy bag at my waistline. Looser tunics are always better, so perhaps a straight-line dress of a color pattern would work.

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Bless you - I feel your pain and totally understand your feelings of loss of self-esteem and the helplessness in searching for the perfect outfit for your upcoming wedding. I feel exactly the same as I had a temporary stoma in January 2024 after a life-saving cancer operation. Twelve months later, I am back for another bigger, longer operation to remove the rest of the cancer along with the rectum. I have no idea what I've got left down there, to be honest. Barbie butt in the healing. xx

I hope you start feeling better soon. I'm sending good vibes your way.

Regards, IGGIE

Before my colostomy, (the stoma is 2 inches above my belly button) I loved empire shirts and dresses. I now find they seem to hang on my pouch.

I go with high-waisted skirts and pants. Fitted tops.

Bodycon dresses that I cinch with a shower curtain ring. Place the ring under the dress, secure it with a rubber band or hair tie. This creates a cinched look where you need to hide the pouch.

Hello there!
It has been 5 years since my colorectal surgery, and I still have to hunt high and low to find suitable clothing, particularly formal dress clothing.

It must be even more frustrating for a woman, as they are more dress conscious than we men. I would love to be able to find a pair of dress trousers with a high expandable waist so that I can pull it over my stoma. The nearest I can find are jogging pants.

I really sympathize.

Kenneth

G-Day Bucky,

Instead of high-waisted pants, why don't

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you shorten the bag to be above your waistline, then you can tuck your shirt in. Try the IGGIE CLIP; see photo. Just roll up the bottom of the bag and clip it. I recommend you glue a magnet to it to stop it from opening on its own.

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Regards, IGGIE

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I found this company for a couple of nice items that don't highlight my ostomy and are not crazy expensive. Hope this helps.

Have you tried a tiered dress?

Believe me, I can relate. I had a megacolon before my thirteen surgeries and at about 94 pounds, looked like a pregnant lady way past her youth. I needed a dress for my daughter's wedding and thankfully found a kind of dressy tent dress that camouflaged pretty well.
Now, however, I have a hernia the size of a football on the opposite side of my stoma and nothing short of carrying a thin sweater in front of me when I go out will hide it. Yes, I had a hernia belt, which pushed my stoma, which was now intestine, into my bag a good eight inches, which required surgery to cut off.
Best of luck in your search. Life isn't easy for us osteomy folks.