Having had chronic IBS for nearly forty years, there are lots of things I have had to give up and cope with. But this article made me think how unhappy I am not to be able to wear what I want. I loved clothes, although I could not necessarily afford much, I would always ask for money for birthdays, etc, so I could buy clothes with it. Your clothes say something about you, the sort of person you are. But as I have got older I find it harder to find nice clothes that are comfortable. I find loose dresses are good as you don't have to worry about tightness around your waist. But as I rarely go out anyway I don't dress up anymore. I just wear old stuff indoors which is comfortable, that's all that matters!
I am guessing a lot of you are the same ☹️.
Written by
Maureen1958
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Well I asked her if I could, I got the, don’t even go there look! I said but and before I could finish my sentence she said no buts your not wearing a dress who do you think you are dame bloody Edna Everage?
Oh they were the days (40 years ago)! When I could wear smart slim fitting trousers. Now I look for longish tops that cover my waist so I can unzip trousers when I feel bloated. About 7 years ago I forgot I did that and my trousers started to fall down when I got up from a chair in the staff restaurant🤦♂️😁
I am the same, Maureen. I don't even like getting dressed up, I prefer to feel comfortable. I wear trakkie bottoms whenever I can, and basically anything warm on my legs!
I also made myself 2 pairs of thick pants for winter out of some polar fleece material I got on ebay because I couldn't find what I was looking for anywhere online. I do almost all my shopping online, but the problem is sizes run very tiny and you can't tell how small they are until you bought them. I don't like anything being too tight. I am size 10 but often buy size 12 or even sometimes a 14
They really keep the cold out and that's what I like best.
I don't mind an elastic waistband so long as it's not too tight.
I wear long tops and sweaters too. Nothing really fitting. Even the extra thick tights I wear underneath that lot are 2 sizes bigger than I need!
I don't really care about looking glam. I just want to be comfortable and warm. I have pairs of skinny jeans upstairs, in good condition and probably won't ever wear them again
Yes. I have clothes in my wardrobe that I haven't worn yet and probably never will! It's such a shame. What I wouldn't give to be able to dress up and go somewhere nice with my husband.
I can't remember the last time I got dressed up and went anywhere nice. Even if I did, Id be on and off the toilet prior and probably never get there, what's the point 😞 I supposed we're all the same.Luisa's green dress sounds nice 👍 I hope you get to that somewhere nice some day 🤞💐
the last time I went out was December the 8th 2016 for my daughters birthday meal, not not after that my ibs took a turn for the worse. I have had to sit out any meals out, it’s a shame but being I could not go my wife would not go either, in the end I had to say if you don’t go I will and if something happens while eating meal it will spoil it for everyone, so she now goes out for meals with her friends or family but it has ment I am left alone more, she still works 3 days a week bless her, her is Also a member of a couple of clubs, I encourage her to go to everything she can as I know how it feels being stuck at home alone.
But you can dress up and go somewhere nice with your husband; if you prepare for it. I have IBS (around 25- 30 years) but also IBD (more recent) and I was amazed how many people of all ages (I do also read one of the main crohns and colitis forums) spoke about how they refuse to let these ghastly conditions get in the way of their life. Sadly, if one is in a bad flare, then that is an issue (20 plus toilet trips in a few hours can cause some problems!) but I (in a mini flare a few months ago) had a wedding to attend and was staying over at the hotel too). I asked my IBD consultant if I should take Imodium to help with the toilet trips and he said yes, it will help and can be taken (apparently even more than they say on the box but only with medical input). So, I wore a nice new dress and jacket (I had to wear evening dress but not a long dress); I made sure I knew where loos were (just in case) and I was as okay as I could have been and enjoyed the whole weekend. I teach psychology and I think we all know there is a large mind/gut connection, but sometimes the fear of all the 'what ifs' stops us doing some very normal things. Perhaps you should organise going somewhere and speak to someone medical about if you can take extra precautions (as I did).
Thanks for your hopeful reply but I now have fibromyalgia and TMJD along with the IBS, so I have a lot of pain and I don't have flare-ups, it's everyday. So I am unable to push through it anymore like I did when I was younger but I do grab the moment if I get the chance but I just grab the first thing to hand to wear because I never know how long I've got before it's back. We have recently (just over a year ago) bought a camper van, so we just go off in that for a few hours. Just yesterday afternoon, we went to Hayling Island and watched the sun go down over the water. My husband is retired now, so we can do that now.
Sorry to hear you have other issues too alongside the IBS...but what a great thing to have a camper van so that you and your husband can head off somewhere even for a few hours. Maybe as the weather gets better again in a few months, you can venture a but further afield knowing that you have the comfort of your own camper van should you need to return to it. I hope that you plan some lovely day trips and maybe even overnight stays. Sometimes, just seeing a new place takes our minds off the horrible medical issues we all experience; I hope this is the case for you!
One day Cinderella, you shall go to the ball!! There will be this perfect dress that feels so comfortable to wear and is flattering too, and you will go somewhere nice with your husband. Thinking shiny bright positive wishes for you x
I don't know why and you might not even like this but the image of a soft dark green velvet dress kept coming to my imagination! An A-line dress, I think mid-calf with long sleeves and I think a crew neck. Very elegant.
I’m between a size 12/14, but I buy trousers and stretchy leggings in 16 which is fine and comfortable…look at Landsend ? And yes, always long tops to hide the nasty bloat…it’s quite possible to look smart occasionally as long as nothing has a waistband!
Oh I know how you feel - I spent years wearing loose wide leg jogging bottoms (M&S, highly recommend them!) and loose tops because of being uncomfortable and bloated. I can recommend the website roman.co.uk - lots of smart clothes that are really comfortable and they have a range of sizes up to 32 and they're not expensive (they have shops as well). Although I do still tend to spend a lot of time in my pyjamas!
A great haircut, good coat, nice shoes, a shade of bronzer to relieve the winter pallor and some jewellery can cover almost all ills! Stretchy trousers with a tunic top / dress over it - I like stretchy / Milano / boiled wool in winter on top, in an ideal world - will be as comfortable as a track suit but can be more flattering.
I was looking for a nice photo of myself recently and had to look back years and years before I could find one. I don’t take selfies. Am going to ask someone to take a photo of me at some point over Xmas when I’ve made an effort and am outdoors.
ive found high rise leggings/trousers with elasticated bands are a lot more comfortable as the waistband goes above my stomach. And embarrassing as it is to say this, ive found maternity trousers/jeans fit comfortably too. Less constricting.
Hope you are doing as well as can be, Maureen. Interesting topic.
I always wondered why I looked pregnant when I used to wear any dresses that clung to my waist and hadn't particularly related it to IBS and just thought it was my posture. I love high waisted dresses, where they taper out just below the bust but they can be hard to find. This is the 'Edwardian' style of dress. Maybe people in that era had a better idea about how to handle 'the bloat' :-). I also found out that I have a long loopy colon. My tummy does tend to stick out and I have a small frame, so I've recently thought that all that colon needs to go somewhere, so no wonder my belly sticks out!
Since COVID-19 I haven't tended to go 'out' for 'occasions', so I stick to comfy house clothes or when out and about I now always look like a hiker (just comfy, warm clothes).
I can relate. It's sad when you can't wear more fitted clothes because you're either having a flare up or a tight pair of jeans might actually help to cause one. My tum has been bloated today and I'm sitting here in yoga trousers. I have big boobs and can't wear baggy dresses as they hang from my boobs and make me look pregnant. Getting dressed to go out can be a nightmare instead of the fun it used to be. I have no advice, just empathy.
soft and comfy. Thank goodness for Covid times ( well you know what I mean) and we could work dressed up from the waist up! Haven’t worn anything tight in years. Peplum suits were my favorite.
I have fibro as well so nothing remotely tight against my stomach or legs is possible I’ve just invested in some tunics and stretchy leggings see how I go in them 🙄
I can completely relate with you, for years I’d struggle to find the right clothes to comfortably fit, especially during the worst flare ups. My niece bought me some leggings, she had said numerous times to give them a go. Honestly I don’t know why I never did before she bought me a pair! It was truly an aha moment. Now, I have more leggings than anything else. I don’t wear them outside of my home, but, I do live in them, wether it’s housework, gardening or chilling.
When I do go out ( like many on here it’s avoided especially when my body is having its flare ups ) I hate wearing other clothes, I can’t wait to get home and slip on my leggings. I too also buy tops that are longer and loose. It’s something I never thought about, finding this forum after 20+ years ( since being diagnosed ) my first memories of bowel issues were at 9. Sadly one of my nieces who’s now 14 started to suffer young as I did. She struggled, thankfully my twin sister spotted the signs and knew exactly what she was suffering with. When I was younger my mum was awful, calling me a hypochondriac, an attention seeker. Most of my family said I was making it up, it caused me to suffer in silence right up into my 20’s when my symptoms really ramped up, then it took a few more years to get the diagnosis. Even then many family members refused to believe it, again causing me to withdraw further. Thankfully I have a loving, understanding, supportive husband. He has never been anything but caring, accommodating and accepting. However, Up until now, living with IBS and only my own thoughts, feelings and way of life to refer too, has helped me immensely. It’s so refreshing to read post after post, comment after comment, knowing exactly what is being described. I don’t feel insane anymore, I no longer feel that there’s something wrong with me, finally, it’s not all in my head. I am not alone, even on subjects like clothing! Thank you for posting regarding this, I cannot tell you the difference it has made. 😇
Hi Droidus, welcome to the site. So glad you found us, we're a nice bunch. We can't necessarily help but we understand what you are going through. It must have been very lonely dealing with it all on your own. I joined the IBS Network in 1994. You can join the IBS Network for £24 on line or £34 for a paper membership. There is quite a lot of information on their site especially to members. They often hold on line webinars, you can also ask questions of experts and they also have a helpline amongst other things. See link below:
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