How to get your Lingerie designs into a shop
From Sketchpad to Spotlight
Some brands I work with want to sell their lingerie just online and others wants to sell online and into shops, if you want the latter then here are some tips to help you along the way.
1. Know Your Brand, Know Your Customer
I wax lyrical on this, in most client mentor talks, especially when designers are in the infancy of their brand. Before you even pitch to a store, ask yourself: Who are they? The person who will wear your lingerie should feel like you know all about them. Knowing who will wear your lingerie will be easier to pitch to the buyers rather than just the product. A mentor I once had said “sell your story not the product” and that stuck. Define your brand story with clarity and confidence—it’s what turns a product into a lifestyle.
2. Perfect Your Product
This is where dreams meet reality. Retailers want to see impeccable samples and production-ready designs. Fit, fabric, finish— and by that I mean not only your samples, but your price list the RRP and the details on when it will be delivered.
3. Build a Look-book or Line Sheet
Visuals sell. Create a beautiful, branded PDF or printed look book with styled photos, pricing, sizing, and materials. Think of it as your lingerie résumé—make it stunning, make it sharp, this is the perfect thing to send over if they don’t want a meeting as it gives you something to follow up on. A line sheet can be found here for free, please don’t go into a meeting without one, whether you use my free one or one you design yourself. You want to be able to show the buyer everything you are selling in one place and leave the sheet if they are still unsure of an order. You will also need a Purchase order form, which I have one free for you here.
4. Research & Target the Right Shops
Don’t just walk into any boutique—curate your pitch. Is this shop aligned with your vibe? Do their customers match your dream buyer? Visit in person, follow them on socials, and get familiar before reaching out. Personalized pitches get noticed. I researched all the brands I liked or thought my brand could sit with. Then I looked at where they were stocked, this allowed me to reference other brands in my pitch so it looked like I understood what their store was about.
5. Pitch Like a Pro
Send a short, confident email that includes:
Who you are
What your brand is about
A link to your lookbook
Why you think your line is a good fit for their shop
Add a sprinkle of personality—be respectful, but don’t be boring.
6. Follow Up Without Fear
No reply? Follow up. Rejection? Still follow up. A “no” today could be a “yes” next season. Retail is fast-moving and relationships matter more than ever. Stay gracious, persistent, and professional. I once range a buyer twenty-seven times because we kept missing each other or she was unsure one season but the next season she bought from me. Every season or new drop I was doing I would send out a curated newsletter to that store. It’s not your job to decide if a store will be buy or not - ie don;t talk yourself out of not contacting them because you think they won’t say ‘yes’.
7. Be Ready for Business
If a store says yes, they’ll expect you to have pricing, production timelines, and delivery terms ready to go. This is where your line-sheet comes into play, but you should also learn the basics of wholesale (markup rates, shipping, returns). A beautiful brand + business sense = power combo. As a basic guide expect shops to mark up by 2.5 and boutiques as high as 3.2, what this means is that if you sell a pair of brief wholesale price at £10 the shop will sell it as £25 and the boutique for £32. Know your figures so it’s not costing you to sell wholesale.
8. Keep Evolving
Getting into your first store is a milestone—but not the finish line. Collect feedback, adapt your designs, grow your community. Remember: every bra and brief you create is part of a bigger vision. Having great communication means that the store is likely to buy from you again. If there is a store you would to get stocked in but they so far haven’t said yes then what I have done in the past is find out their size and send them a bra that size for them to wear.
Final Word
You’re not just designing lingerie—you’re designing confidence, comfort, and identity. Shops want to carry brands that tell a story and spark a connection. Be bold, be prepared, and most importantly: believe in the power of your work.