How to Design Clothing on an Online Mannequin

There are two main roads that you can go down when designing clothing on a online mannequin. You can either use a site to create a virtual "doll" wearing the clothing and then use that design to make your own clothing later on, or you can use a site that lets you design the clothing and then they will make it for a fee and ship it to you. There are several sites that allow you to do this. See Resources below for links.

Step 1

Determine what type of clothing you are looking to design. Is this for fun or for a special occasion? Do you mean to actually produce or have the clothing produced, or do you just want to try things out? Where does it fall on the scale of casual to formal?

Step 2

Choose a site to design your clothing at. The References section of this article lists several options. If you're looking for a website at which you can design a dress and they will make it for you, try Coco Myles (Sizes 0 to 30 US) or StyleShake (Sizes 2 to14 US). If you are looking to create mock ups of a wedding dress to bring with you to either a seamstress or a store, try Wedding Dress Creator. If you are looking to experiment with different looks, try Polyvore. If you are just looking to play, Dress Up Games is good. Some websites will require you to sign up, but four of these five sites won't (StyleShake makes you sign up to try it).

Step 3

Design your outfit. Different sites will have different methods for designing clothes, but it generally follows the same pattern: for tops a good site will allow you to choose the drop, sleeve style, neckline and color. Some will go further, allowing you to choose different trims. For skirts, in addition to color, the length (maxi through ultra mini) and style (such as a-line, pencil, bubble) should be customizable. For dresses, you should be able to specify the color, silhouette, neckline, waist fall, sleeve style and any trim.

Tips & Warnings

If you are designing for yourself, make sure to select colors and cuts that match your skin and body type. If you are looking to creatively express yourself through clothing design, an online method might not be the best route. Hand-drawn designs can express things that online programs cannot, especially if your taste is unusual or eclectic.An outfit might look wonderful on the mannequin, but it may look very different on you.