Abbie Fidgett, 22, from Stafford, West Midlands, began suffering from body dysmorphia after she was bullied throughout school and college – and now wears underwear as outerwear to feel confident
A woman has shared how she uses underwear as “outerwear” to help her deal with body dysmorphia.
Abbie Fidgett, 22, wears lingerie, corsets and boxers when she goes to the beach or out at night. She said she started having body dysmorphia after being bullied at school and college.
She waited 20 weeks for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and didn’t want to go back to the doctors when they wanted to weigh her. She used to wear winter coats all year to hide her body, but in November 2020, she decided to wear underwear instead – after trying exposure therapy with different outfits.
Check out more fashion & beauty stories here
She’s starting to feel better and loves showing her personality through her clothes. Now, Abbie does everyday tasks wearing boxer shorts and a jacket and often wears lingerie when she goes out at night.
Abbie, who creates content and lives in Stafford, West Midlands, said: “I started expressing myself through my fashion because it felt like I was finally doing something for myself. I feel confident wearing underwear as outerwear and I’m so proud of myself. I love being creative with fashion, it gives me my power back.”
She added: “I’m always wearing lingerie tops when I go out at night – I’ll wear my boxer shorts on holiday, along with a bikini top. When it gets a bit warmer, I’ll be pairing my boxers with a blazer or jacket to go to the shops.”
Abbie had a tough time at school from 2012 to 2017, where she was picked on by bullies. She used to be full of confidence but the mean comments about her skin and weight made her want to hide away.
The bullies were so mean all through school, and Abbie says her prom on July 7, 2017, was the “worst day of her life”.
She shared: “I struggled mostly in high school. I got heavily bullied – so for me, the priority was to just find any piece of clothing I could hide my body in.
“I used to wear big winter coats, even in the summer, to hide myself. I’d get stared at a lot, which I did find really embarrassing, but it was more bearable than walking out the door wearing something that showed my body off. I just wanted to be able to feel comfortable again and wear things I actually liked.”
When she went to see her doctor in the summer of 2017, there wasn’t much help for how she felt about her body, and she had to wait ages for talking therapy. Abbie didn’t like how the doctors talked about her worries, saying they promised to “get you out of that winter coat in no time”.
She added: “I couldn’t get any CBT during high school because the waiting list was too long. I remember walking into my appointment in my big coat, stepping on the scales in front of the doctor, hearing them making comments. I left that appointment in tears.”
With the help of her loved ones, Abbie joined a gym in Stafford to boost her mental health and started training with a personal trainer. As she slowly began to feel better about her body over time, she started exploring her passion for fashion by trying out different outfits – and in October 2022, she began sharing style videos on TikTok.
She said: “You can’t grow your confidence overnight – it took years before I felt good enough in myself to start changing up my style. Going to the gym made me feel better – and it made me more confident in my body, too.
“I used to feel too ugly to leave my house – but gradually, I started experimenting with different looks. It was this voice of encouragement I had in the back of my mind, like ‘come on, Abs. You’ve got to start doing more for yourself’.”
In summer 2023, Abbie spotted someone in Stafford wearing blue-striped boxer shorts as outerwear. Her love of analysing other people’s outfit choices made her think she could pull off the look herself – so she decided to buy a pair.
Not only does she plan to style them for her followers on TikTok, but she also plans to wear the same boxers for upcoming girls’ holidays, nights out, and even while running errands.
Want all the biggest Lifestyle news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Hot Topics newsletter
The model shared that she now feels confident wearing lingerie outside of photoshoots because she doesn’t care what other people think. “I can wear boxer shorts with a pair of heels, and head to a club dressed like that,” she explained. “Or, I can dress them down – wearing leg warmers and a blazer, just to run to the shops in.
“Now, I can wear anything I want. I’m sure a lot of people think I have a ‘weird’ sense of fashion, and think I dress strangely. But I don’t fear other people’s opinions anymore. I think I show people how to look funky.
“I wouldn’t be here today without the help of my mum – I used her as a verbal punching bag for so long but she stuck by me. She’s my biggest supporter. When you recover from body dysmorphia – it can still be a battle, everyone has their bad days but don’t let that affect your ability to express yourself.”
