Would like to start to make own clothes...

[aeAlais]

but I'm still quite confused.

The templates (UV maps) which are available for download are a great help but I am planning on making myself something more on the elizabethan, victorian or renaissance side. Since the UV maps available are mostly fitting coz' it seems to be taken from the body mesh itself, does this mean that I have to model loose parts like the sleeves, cravats, shoes, pumpkin pants, or those dangling frilly stuff? Or are there base meshes for basic loose clothing stuff included already in SL? If so, how do I get to those base meshes and get their maps?

[Darren Scorpio]

It depends what it is exactly you want to do. Normally, things like shirts and pants are made using the system clothing. You can find templates for such in the Marketplace. You can if you wish add prim parts to them to add a little more realism, for example sleeves, cuffs, collars, etc. You can also find full perm sculpties of those such things. 

And then of course there is mesh clothing, which is entirely different from the system clothing. You would need to model them using some 3D software like Blender, or you can buy full perm ones on the Marketplace. 

[Leyah Moonshadow]

hey i'm writting to see id u find anything out if u would let me know?? i too would like to start making clothing but i don't even know where to start. i want to make ballgowns and stuff like that. like fancy clothing. so please if u wouldn't getting in touch with me when u find out anything and i could do the same for u if u want. thank you for ur time.

[Rolig Loon]

Start simple.  Unless you already have 3D modeling skills and are prepared to make mesh items, work with system clothes and prim attachments first.  You can do amazing stuff with them and they are still the foundation for building things in SL.   Take a look at Natalia Zelmanov's tutorials.  They are a little dated by now but still some of the easiest, best illustrated tutorials for beginning clothing designers.