I know this is a minor issue compared to some other thing we are going through but just needed to vent to others that may understand. I've got stage 4 endo and three cysts that I'm awaiting surgery for to remove, compared to previous years I'm really bloated all the time now. I've got proper endo-belly and hate trying to find clothes that disguise it. I've gone up a dress size in trousers/jeans, things that suited me last year now don't and if I pick the wrong clothes people think I'm pregnant (which sucks when you might be facing infertility). I've got a couple of tiered smock type dresses that kinda hide it but especially as the weather is changing I feel I'm going to be hiding in baggy hoodies all the time. Just wanted to see who else feels like this and if anyone has some magic outfits that make you feel like you again!
Clothes and endo: I know this is a minor... - Endometriosis UK
Clothes and endo
your post is just like me, recently my stomach is so swollen and distended for months at a time until I have a period, then it goes back to an acceptable flatness so to say for me, then it bloats up again. Ok sick of it. Stopped wearing my jeggings as the pressure over belly is too much. I now live in tights with a dress (elastic aged around the waist so it’s not touching my stomach) and I then either have a nice top on the top of the dress or a fitted jumper. It looks like I have a nice dress on when i wear these items together. Or I wear leggings that are elastic aged around the waist again.
It’s a major problem for me the bloating, it does get me down, it makes me feel very fat. More rounded, makes me feel like I’m eating lots when I’m not,
Hope that helps x
I know what you mean as I can’t wear jeans anymore as they are the most uncomfortable. So I tend to live in leggings and then a tshirt. My saving grace has been M&S Scuba Barrel joggers I have them in the black and brown, they can look quite stylish with a jumper. I wore a pair to work the other day with a tankie and long sleeve top with a pair of boots. Happy days hiding the bloat and super comfy for days when I call it having “to make an effort”. Even though I’m living in them at the moment post op too 🤭. Hope this helps x
Oh my god, this is the one thing noone speaks about!! I had stage 4 Adeno (after many many years of waiting I was diagnosed and I have had a hysterectomy now) I know everyone says fast fashion is bad, but it's affordable and I found Shein to be a godsend! They do so many beautiful clothes with elasticated waistbands. I found having a wide leg trouser or jeans and then tucking in a top and a blazer or cardigan to be the best, it meant I kept my silhouette, hid my adenobelly and I still felt and looked smart even though I was dying in pain! Also like you say smock and skater dresses or A line skirts are perfect! I find when your stomach swells so much through the day elasticated was the only way to go. Hope this helps! Good luck with surgery! I hope you get a date soon! 🧡
I totally get this and yes it sucks. I’m no style queen but having lived with pretty extreme symptoms for over a decade (very similar situation to you by the sounds of it), here are a few things live learnt for when you want to be a bit smarter:
- layers are great… so loose snazzy cardigans over nice dresses can soften lines and work as a bit of cover if feeling self conscious. In winter really big/long scarves and shawls are good for this too
- if you’re quite busty a good ‘casual cut’ shift dress won’t hug your belly (plus the above for added reassurance). Gap used to do. Dress that I love for this. Plus it has pockets.
- avoid polyesters/stretch clingy fabrics unless in one of those outfits where there’s an under layer and some sort of sheer over layer attached to it
- this one’s important… it’s absolutely ok to want to find clothes that make you feel confident. But it helped me to stop fixating on a thing I couldn’t change by paying attention to confident/stylish/looking good people and making myself look for the things that - on me - I would hate. It’s been a lesson in realising that owning the way you look really makes a difference. I know it’s easier said than done, and I especially get the ‘are you expecting/congratulations’ which I always find heartbreaking, but please don’t stop wearing things you love x
Totally get this!! I do salsa dancing and lots of people go in tight jeans and crop tops but I just can't do that because my tummy is so big even though I'm slim. So I tend to wear a-line/skater dresses with the waistband below the bust and the dress skimming over the tummy - makes me look the best. Not exactly totally trendy but it really doesn't matter if you feel comfortable!
Tights can sometimes feel too tight over my tummy though so it's annoying it's winter now. I've recently invested in some big pants as well because thongs and little knickers tend to be very tight around the front. So I decided, who am I trying to impress?! And went and bought some full briefs 😆 And they feel so much better.
Trousers are the worst. But I've got a couple of pair of wide leg trousers and I don't tuck in my top because it emphasizes my tummy more. As soon as I'm at home I'm into my tracksuit bottoms or pajama bottoms because they're really the only thing feel comfortable!
It's horrible being bloated all the time , so totally understand. I think this is a big enough issue that it affects everyday life!
I conpletely understand this. I hated not being able to wear jeans with endo belly as I live in jeans normally. I absolutely love the jeggings from Halara. They can be pricey so I wait till they go on sale and get a couple pairs. They're sooo much comfier than real jeans, but they look the part. Then I just wear a flowy top or jumper on top. Or I love a good loose jumper dress with soft tights and boots this time of year.
I'd recommend following @carys.whittaker on Instagram if you have it. She's amazing. She has endometriosis and shows so many cool options for dressing with a belly. She totally owns it too!
I cant wear jeans as it aggravates my pain has done for about 8years now. I wear mostly high waisted stretchy leggings or elasticated waist trousers, longline t shirts (primark, shein, matalan), boyfriend tshirts, long cardigans or jumper dresses/longline jumpers (again from places I seek the tops) I'll wear dresses and tights for specials occasions but I'm a constant sufferer so it's rare I'm out and mostly live in my pyjamas x
a great account on Instagram to take a look at is @lottiedrynan She does lots and lots of posts about bloat friendly outfits. You might get some inspiration there x
Hi,
This is a thing, so thanks for raising it. It’s not unimportant as we all want to look good in our outfits. I too have stage 4 endo & surgery is too complex for me & too high risk.
So… Elasticated waist trousers are your friend or you can get jeans with partial elastic (at the back) which allow a bit more comfort & freedom to move. I also size up on non elastic jeans or wear slim fit jeans from M & S rather than skinny (trendy!) they really don’t look that different & are so much more comfortable! Belt in a notch on days when swelling’s not so bad…
I choose baggy style or size up with t-shirts/summer vests l & buy longer line in these too, but not so long that they’re dress like, but cover tummy adequately!
In summer I have linen trousers (elastic or the style with a loose belt or tie that you can adjust. E.g M &S - old faithful! ) Style with smock type top (without stitching under the bust because it can look like maternity wear,) but fitted a little so it’s not too baggy - hard to find but can be found or tailored. Some shops just sell shapeless smock style tops.
I find most of my clothing in Next/M & S/Fat Face.
On worst days I resort to decent quality jogging bottoms & a t-shirt for comfort.
Hope that’s helpful!? Good luck finding the clothes you need.
Hey, I have stage 4 too and feel the same. My 20’s weren’t such a problem with clothes I could wear size 8-10 anything apart from one week of the month.
My 30’s however, especially since my last excision surgery I feel like I’ve got severe endo belly permanently. Look about 8 months pregnant, which is cruel as I will never have children.
Even more cruel is the only jeans I can wear comfortably now are maternity jeans.
Summer isn’t so bad as can wear like patterned harem type trousers and plain tops which takes the attention away from my upper body.
For Autumn and Winter I’m currently living in leggings, of all places Primarks £7 leggings I’ve found to be the comfiest. Oversized shirts, shackets, tunic type tops and jumpers hide my stomach very well.
Unfortunately I’m rarely well enough to go out anymore but if I was I have to shop ‘bloat friendly dresses’. A website called Silk Fred does some really nice ones.
Best wishes to you with this horrible disease ❤️
I agree with you Next and Fat face are where I buy from most often.
In the past I was able to where Next and M&S jegging style jeans but even those feel like they’re cutting into me now.
Not forgetting to mention bras, I’m yet to find a brand/ type that doesn’t feel like I’m being suffocated. So so uncomfortable. I’ve given up wearing them at all at home now.
I have the same problem. I’ve kind of given up on wearing anything other than leggings. Jogging pants. Baggy shirts and sweat shirts.
On days where my stomach was flatter, I’d put on a pair of jeans. Only to be in agony within hours due to my stomach swelling.
I have bought a few baggy T shirt dresses from SHEIN which are great with a very large pair of tights that go over my stomach.
I’m glad this has been brought up, not many people speak about it xx
This is SUCH an important topic that we definitely need to talk about more, so thanks for raising Amyrebecca246 ! Endo / adeno are bad enough on their own, but I struggle with how it impacts what I can wear which I know impacts how I feel about myself. I have bloating all the time - it just gets more worse or less worse. I'm relatively slim and pretty active and really feel like my endo belly that at times looks like I'm 6-8 months pregnant must be so obvious to everyone.
Thankfully I can work at home most of the time, but when I'm in the office or out and about I consciously suck my stomach in and live with the discomfort of wearing something that I probably shouldn't just to help me feel more 'normal'. A pelvic physiotherapist has told me this is probably one reason I find it really hard to relax my pelvic muscles which in turn increases the pain. I suck my belly in without even thinking about it now, so it's really hard to undo this behaviour!
At home, I often wear denim pinafore dresses with tights that don't have a tight waistband, although tights are still uncomfortable. On rare occasions when I put jeans on, I will have the buttons undone at home as it's just too uncomfortable. I do have a pair of maternity jeans I sometimes wear out with a tunic type top, but I have to keep pulling them up so they don't slip down!
Leggings in a size too big can be ok, and I have to wear leggings for my exercise classes anyway. I find elasticated waistbands really challenging - they just hurt too much, so really it's only dresses I can wear when I want something that can deal with the bloat changing size during the day. Always a relief when we get to summer so I don't have to wear tights!
I have a body shape that benefits from having a defined waistline, so I never feel quite right wearing anything particularly baggy.
With me I always would wear a size up on a blouse, sometimes over a T-shirt with blouse open. Tried not to wear too much mock and then from very thin to thick big cardigans with the time of year. Sleevless bright over jumpers. Slim trousers with elastic waist. Necklace chunky. Earrings, Sunglasses anything to draw the eyes to the top of your body or your feet, stylish boots !The important thing is you look good to you. It certainly will make you feel stronger and generally happier.
Yes it's not easy. These days my swelling is all on the left side and waistline gone on leftside.
Girlpower! Wear a smile!
x
Lucy & Yak are great for comfy clothes! They’re a bit expensive because they’re slow fashion, but you can pick them up on vinted. There’s a resell page on Facebook as well, and the official community Facebook page for them is great. Often people will post asking for advice on styling, so you could put a post on there and see what items people recommend for bloating.
I’m not sure if I’ve got much advice but I just wanted to say I relate sooo much to this! I have ballooned so much in the past year that I hardly fit in any of my clothes anymore and even the ones I do just about still fit in, I look in the mirror and see a pregnant lady! I have been offered seats on trains so many times recently due to looking about 9months pregnant! It honestly feels like the cruelest thing when I see in the mirror something I want so badly but may well never have!
In terms of clothing, I live in leggings wherever possible (v. stretchy ones!) with baggy dresses over the top generally. For work where I have to wear proper trousers, I have had to wear men’s sizes and even then I have to leave the button undone to fit over my bloated belly! I actually considered buying some maternity trousers because it’s just so hard to get trousers that fit! Has anyone tried this and found they work for endo belly?
Jersey material is my friend for this reason. During the week, my work wardrobe consists of Popsy dresses (they all have pockets!) that are nice and stretchy and have fabric belts too so don't dig in. They also do tights that are really generous and the 'waistband' of them actually sits just under my bra so doesn't dig in when I bloat. At the weekend, I mostly wear high waisted leggings and a floaty top. I honestly can't remember the last time I felt comfortable in clothes with a button up waist!
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