Style with Confidence: Fashion Tips from Our Inspiring Advocates

Posted: 19/06/2025

Living with a stoma doesn’t mean compromising on style. It’s all about finding outfits that make you feel comfortable, confident, and truly yourself. That’s why we’ve teamed up with some of our amazing Brand Advocates, who are sharing their favourite looks and the tips that help them dress with confidence. 

From everyday essentials to statement styles, discover how they embrace fashion and feel their best — stoma and all! 

Harvey Gladwell

Harvey is a paramedic student from Sunderland who’s passionate about fitness and Ironman competitions. Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at 14, he faced multiple surgeries before receiving his ileostomy in 2020. Now, he shares his journey to support younger ostomates and raise awareness in the stoma community.  

Look 1: The gym 

As an avid gym-goer, I use a stoma support belt which enables me to do weightlifting without the fear of my bag coming off. It also helps to support my core. Confidence BE^® gives me the reassurance I can train as normal and fully throw myself into a hard session! 

Look 2: Socialising  

This is something I’d wear to go out for dinner with my girlfriend or friends. I find Calvin Klein underwear the most comfortable, especially with an ileostomy. Wearing loose-fitting jeans and an oversized t-shirt is important so my ileostomy doesn’t feel restricted. I’ve also chosen a quarter-zip jumper from Marks & Spencer that’s stretchy and, again, really comfortable. 

Harvey’s top tip: My advice to others is to always pick comfy clothes that make you feel confident and leave room for your bag to expand and move with you. 

 

Bryony Gray

Meet Bryony (Bee for short). Bee is a Purchasing Manager from Sheffield. She’s also a Pole Fitness Instructor and loves helping others build confidence. Bee’s been living with an ileostomy for nine years due to ulcerative colitis and has overcome multiple surgeries and personal setbacks along the way. These days, she’s passionate about raising awareness, supporting charities and empowering others to embrace life with a stoma. 

Look 1: Winter wedding guest 

As a daytime winter wedding guest, I chose this stunning black bandeau dress from Club L London, which caught my eye for a few reasons — firstly, its darker colour would make it more difficult to see any visible stains. The material’s also nice and stretchy, so it flatters my smaller waist and embraces the curves around my hips. It also leaves plenty of room to feel comfortable with my stoma bag as it fills up, as I tend to bloat quite badly after I’ve eaten. The bust detailing and stunning fluffy edge at the bottom, teamed up with an electric blue fascinator (Etsy) and clutch bag (Ted Baker), meant others weren’t focusing on my tummy area.  

Bee’s top tips:

Always make sure you’re carrying a decent-size bag; this allows you to take a couple of stoma bags and any other much-needed supplies with you!  

Also, grab yourself some high-waisted control underwear. They’re amazing for smoothing out any outlining of your stoma bag and contouring your body shape perfectly in all the right places.  

Look 2: Holiday mode! 

I have this bikini in so many colours. They come in a two-piece set from SHEIN: the bandeaus have a pullstring at the back that allows you to tighten or loosen according to your body type and the bottoms are high-waisted so they sit just above your stoma bag. The sets are so affordable that if I do have any accidents, at least I haven’t ruined my best designer bikini! 

Bee’s top tips 

Always choose high-waisted bikinis over ones that sit on the hips. These bikini bottoms sit perfectly above my belly button, meaning they fully cover my stoma bag. 

Any form of high-waisted clothing leaves me feeling so much more comfortable and content; it’s much easier to disguise my bag in this type of clothing and it also flatters my curves.

Due to having ulcerative colitis, I suffer from cold sores and the sun just makes them spread — so always take a hat to keep your face and lips out of the sun as much as possible. 

I couldn't have worn this bikini on holiday with confidence like I did without wearing a black Confidence BE® mini bag. These pouches give me constant reassurance that my bag won’t leak in the heat, which could be a challenge when you’re constantly applying sun creams and oils. Confidence BE®, however, gives me 100% comfort all day, every day. The stone bags are amazing for wearing under swimwear, too.   

Look 3: Loungewear/travel wear  

I always size up in loungewear, especially if I’m going to be sitting for a long period of time. This means I can feel as comfortable as possible during the journey as I have no tight restrictions around my tummy area. It also gives me easy access if I need to use the toilet. 

This midi dress from PLT is perfect for travelling — the material is soft, stretchy and so comfy. I paired this with a hoodie from Bershka and my small Carvela backpack, which is ideal for additional stoma supplies. Underneath, I have a black control thong, giving me extra support around my Confidence BE® bag. I went for a standard size bag in this instance because I was travelling, which gave me more room for filling it up during my 4.5-hour flight.  

Bee’s top tips:

Due to having six large operations for ulcerative colitis, including having a ‘Barbie bum’, I suffer severely from both chronic and phantom pain. Because of this, I’m always quick to pack any medications in my hand luggage alongside plenty of stoma supplies, including dry and wet wipes.  

Don't forget to use the services on offer, such as ‘Special Assistance’. All airlines and transport companies offer this, so all you have to do is ask. Sunflower lanyards are also a good way of voluntarily sharing that you have a disability or condition that may not be immediately apparent. 

Yvonne Holley 

Yvonne, a stay-at-home mum from Somerset, has been living with a stoma for 14 years due to severe Crohn’s. Passionate about travel, yoga and all things 1920s, she embraces life to the fullest, celebrating the freedom her stoma’s given her. Yvonne shares her journey openly and volunteers to help others achieve the same comfort and confidence.  

 

Look 1: Socialising with friends 

I went out for a game of bowling and something to eat with friends. I wanted comfort for bowling, but I also wanted to look like I’d made an effort. I wore my PixieGirl petite flared trousers, which have a high-waisted fit and sit just under my stoma. Then, I matched it with a long-sleeve black top from Primark. I wore UGGs on my feet for comfort and my camel coat from New Look which made me look a lot smarter.  

My stoma felt free, I was comfortable the whole time and I completely forgot my bag was there like always. I had a meal afterwards and my stoma passed stools with no restrictions from my clothes. 

Look 2: Family time 

I chose this look for a family walk before heading somewhere lovely for lunch. I wore my I Am Denim jeans, which are specifically designed for people who have had surgery or wear ostomy bags. They’re simply pure comfort, which I love because — let’s face it — jeans can be uncomfortable! 

I also wore my Marks & Spencer ribbed top which is fitted but doesn’t apply any pressure to my stoma. My grey jacket is from TU and my boots are from ASOS. 

Look 3: A meal with friends 

I recently went out with friends and wore a nice flowy dress from Zara, which was great comfort for my stoma. I had a meal, so I knew I was going to pass some stools — the flowy dress was perfect for this situation and, when I did pass stools, my bag didn’t bulge through my dress. 

When going out for food and drinks, I like to dress up — and you can still do that with a stoma bag. I always make sure I don’t wear any clothing that puts pressure on my bag. That way, it’s free and I can enjoy myself without worry.  

Yvonne’s top tips:

• Since wearing Confidence BE®, my life has been stress-free and I no longer have to worry. Other bags used to leak and the thought of going out and my bag leaking was quite frightening. Now, I can go out and forget about it — and let the bag do all the work.  
• If you’re new to having a stoma, make sure you have room around your stoma and bag when you choose an outfit. This allows you the space to feel comfortable because the bag isn’t restricted.  
• When putting on my bag, I rub it on my stomach for about a minute. That way, I know my bag is completely stuck and won’t come off.

 

A big thank you to Harvey, Bryony and Yvonne for sharing their favourite outfits and handy tips for styling with confidence. 

As you can see, Confidence BE^® is all about empowering you to feel comfortable in your own skin — and look and feel great while doing so!