I always have so many ideas when it comes to designing lingerie, I have sketchbooks upon sketchbooks where designs never see the light. Ideas scribbled down with some I‘ve taken a step further and worked out the technicalities of them. Even some make it as far as lingerie patterns drafted and samples produced.

I’ve also had this problem when producing new ideas for my business, most recently I had a great idea about producing patterns packs and then sitting alongside that having fabric packs but with a difference instead of selling the fabrics and components I was going to cut out the sample for the customer n their desired size as my research showed that many people didn’t know where to start when it came to cutting things out.

I’d made the theme, drafted out three designs, bought fabric, drafted out a lingerie pattern, made a sample and sourced packaging and then I came to a stand still. Even though I had invested time, money and research but I gave up on the design but why?

One thing that doesn’t come up for discussion often is all the designs that you should give up on, even if you have have spent time and money, sometimes it’s not best to plough on through.

So, when is it actually smart to give up on a design even after you’ve made a sample?

1. When the Sample Reveals a Fundamental Flaw

Sometimes the idea works beautifully in theory but collapses in practice.
If the sample exposes a core problem you can’t fix without basically redesigning from scratch, that’s a sign it’s time to walk away.

Examples:

The fit is inherently awkward because the construction is overly complex.
The material behaves unpredictably (stretching, warping, distorting).
The proportions simply don’t translate from sketch to physical form.

2. When You’re “Forcing It”

If you find yourself repeatedly adjusting, reworking, and troubleshooting with no meaningful improvement, you’re stuck in a sunk-cost loop.

Questions to ask:

Am I redesigning this more than I originally planned?
Does every fix create a new problem?
Am I still excited about it, or just stubborn?

If the process feels like dragging a boulder uphill, it’s probably not the right design.

3. When the Design No Longer Serves the Purpose

Even a beautiful sample isn’t useful if it no longer meets the project goals.

Maybe:

It’s too expensive to produce.
The techniques required aren’t scalable.
It doesn't align with your brand, audience, or message anymore.

A great sample isn’t enough if it’s the wrong direction strategically.

4. When You Realize the Design Doesn’t Feel Like You

Sometimes you finish a sample and think, “This isn’t what I actually want to put into the world.”

Creativity evolves.
Your taste evolves.
The design… might not have evolved with you.

If it doesn’t fit your internal compass anymore, letting go is not a failure — it’s clarity.

5. When Continuing Will Cost More Than It’s Worth

A design that eats time, money, and mental energy without producing value becomes a liability.

Consider:

Will seeing this through prevent you from working on better ideas?
What’s the opportunity cost of continuing?

Letting go isn’t quitting — it’s reallocating your creative bandwidth.

6. When the Sample Teaches You What You Needed to Know

Sometimes the point of making the sample was the learning, not the final product.
It can be a stepping stone toward a better design.

If the sample helped clarify what doesn’t work, that’s still progress.

7. When Your Gut Says "This Isn’t It"

Design is deeply intuitive.
If your instincts are quietly nudging you to move on, trust that.

Your intuition is informed by experience, even if you can’t articulate the reason yet.

Why did I ‘abandon’ my idea?

After making the sample, I had to write the pattern pack instructions, and that’s the bit that takes time, making sure everything makes sense especially if you are sewing for the first time. Then I would have send the pattern away to be tested by a sewist to make sure everything did make sense and the pattern fitted together when someone else made it. The cost and the investment on the return would have been higher than any profit i would have made, especially as when the orders came in I would then have to cut each one out.

By working on one idea you are saying no to another. I had to remember that abandoning a design isn’t a sign of failure.

Seven reasons when to give up on a lingerie design