M&S is selling underwear designed to be worn with a stoma, in a first on the UK high street
Marks & Spencer has long been a go-to destination for British women to buy underwear – and this month it’s becoming an option for even more of them. The retailer is the first high street store to sell underwear designed to be worn with a colostomy bag.
Available from this weekend in selected stores and online, the briefs have internal pockets to accommodate a stoma or multiple stomas to help protect against leaks, while the high waist and wide waistband offer the wearer support. They cost £18 for a pack of three, which is considerably cheaper than those available in specialist stores, which typically cost around £14 a pair.
They’re not just practical, though. Like other briefs available at the retailer, these designs come in a variety of cuts – high-waist Brazilian and full brief – and come in a range of colours with lace panels. They can also be purchased with matching bras – something that hasn’t been so readily available for women living with stomas until now.
The idea was first floated by M&S worker Jiggy Sohi, based on her own experience of living with a stoma. “For years I knew there was a real gap in the market and last year I built up the confidence to do something about it,” she said.
The briefs were tried and tested by Sohi and more than 20 women during the development process. M&S also worked with Colostomy UK to gain insight from experts. Soozie Jenkinson, head of lingerie design at M&S, said the biggest challenge was combining comfort and style. “Working with a group of women living with ostomy bags to design these specific briefs made us realise just how life-changing great underwear can be,” she said.
Despite there being 200,000 people in the UK living with a stoma, it’s not something that’s often discussed in the mainstream media. However, this is changing. Former Made In Chelsea star Louise Thompson revealed that she provided with a stoma in Apriland there are other influencers, including the model Jess Grossman and Holly April, who goes by the nickname @stomababe on Instagram.
The fashion influencer Lucy Jane is open about life with her ostomy bag to her followers. She says the most striking thing about the M&S range is the visibility it brings.
“Right now we’re alienated. We’re so different that we can’t even get underwear from a shop on the high street,” she said. “It’s such a small change, but for young women to walk into something and think, ‘oh, that’s for me’, that’s never really been seen before.”
Jane is going to buy some underwear for her grandmother, who has been living with a stoma for over 50 years. “Compared to what she used to have, she’ll be amazed.”