Help with "realism" ?

[Katie]

I think maybe I just generally lose... But I'm struggling with making my creations look "real"

Like, the original shirts from MTS ( http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=299993 )

Have like, realistic coloration- when I make stuff it's usually flatly colored... How exactly do I make them "real" ?

[Theraven]

Shadowing. You could use a clean white/grey recolor of something, make the contrast a bit higher, and use it as a "multiply" layer on top of the colored layer. Or you could paint shadowing yourself, though it takes some more practice.

I think there are some tutorials somewhere.

[BlooM]

Giving a texture more ''depth'' is done on the normalmap texture(bumpmap)
You desaturate(making it grey colored/black and white) your normaltexture and reduce the lightning and contrast with arround 20%/30%(experiment with it.)
That texture you save as your normalmap texture.

Note,
Not all outfits are bumpmap enabled, you will see the extra file in your project subfolder when exported or you can use your F3/F5 and F9 keys in bodyshop and view the desired outfit by rotating and zooming in on it with your mousekeys.
When its bumpmap enabled you see the more 3d look immidiatly when rotating it to the dark side of the bodyshoproom.
Some older videocards do not support bumpmapping, thats something you should check first.

[Theraven]

I didn't really notice bump mapping on clothes before I got a new computer. Now I see how many of the downloaded clothes I've got are done too bad 
Bumpmapping is just to give the clothing a little finish. If you don't have shadowing to begin with, or if the bumping overdone, then it won't look good either way.

The best thing is to have good shadowing. I don't usually bumpmap the clothing I make, since it often looks better without, and since not all can see it anyway.

[Katie]

Thanks guys!

So THAT'S how you do that!

I'm very happy to know this now!