Custom Clothes Online

By Michelle Hainer

Sheila Cameron of Los Angeles loves to paint. A couple of years ago, while she was pregnant with her first child, she found a great way to share her paintings with her loved ones. Cameron began taking digital photographs of her artwork, and then had the images imprinted on T-shirts, pillows, and mugs. She gave each of them away as gifts.

"It's so exciting to see something you drew appear on a mug," Cameron says. Yet mugs and pillows were only the beginning for this former TV and web producer. Soon Cameron was creating T-shirts with entertaining slogans, like "Free Katie" (in reference to Katie Holmes' relationship with Tom Cruise). She started out sending them to friends, but before she knew it, the T-shirts caught on and people all over the country were clamoring to buy them. The shirts even appeared in People and US Weekly magazines.

"What started as a fluke ended up being a great way to earn some money," Cameron says.

There are numerous sites on the Internet where you can make your own T-shirts, tanks, mugs and even custom-made jeans. Here are three sites to help you get started on your own custom design line:

DIY Designing 1: CafePress If, like Cameron, you have a photo, drawing, catch-phrase or logo that would look great on a T-shirt, tracksuit, baby onesie or doggie outfit, then CafePress can help. Prices start as low as $8.99 for T-shirts. And before purchasing any customized creations, you can preview and make changes to each one until you are completely satisfied with the look.

On the technical front, avoid uploading images that you find on the Internet, such as JPEGs (image files ending with ".jpg") which are the most common format for digital pictures found on the web. "They won't print clearly," Cameron says. And since each home computer monitor is calibrated differently, the color you see on your screen might not be a perfect match to the final product. See the site's Help section for guidelines on how to achieve the best results. You want to use the highest quality image available, and some image formats are preferable than others for transferring onto fabric (for example, ".pgn" is usually better than ".jpg"). But if you're not happy with the final product, CafePress offers a 100% money-back guarantee.

DIY Designing 2: UJeans If the perfect pair of jeans eludes you, UJeans might have what you're looking for. The site allows users to choose everything from the flare to the front pocket. The jeans, which cost upwards of $100, are made with environmentally friendly natural washes and dyes. The site also offers a free design guide that demonstrates how to accurately measure things like your inseam. UJeans will even send a free tailor's measuring tape if you don't have one. The custom dungarees take a long time to arrive, however -- five to seven weeks -- so get ready to wait. The good news is, if you're not happy with the finished product, UJeans offers a full refund within 30 days.

DIY Designing 3: CustomizedGirl This site specializes in monogrammed or personalized skirts, shirts, sweats, and even underwear. Most items sell for less than $35. CustomizedGirl is great for commemorating special events such as weddings, birthdays, or family reunions. The site offers a clip art library that you can choose from (currently, you can't upload your own designs) and you decide the text color and placement. While you can see a preview of your work before you order, if you don't like the finished product, you're out of luck -- CustomizedGirl does not offer refunds unless the finished product is defective.

These days, Cameron for one is still designing shirts and she's even gotten her sister Moira in on the act. "It's so much fun," says Cameron. "Now I have a little community online. Designing online really fulfills the magic of the Internet."