In the inbuilt appearance editor are options that allow the resident to create a whole variety of what is known as slider clothing. This eponymous clothing is created by adjusting a series of sliders in the appearance editor that control the features of the desired garment. For example the skirt slider allows one to adjust the length, fullness, bustle, and the placement and length of splits.
Prim clothing may also be created and offers greater creative freedom than slider clothing. As some prims may be made flexible, prim clothing allows the creation of flowing garments that move more naturally with the avatar than slider clothing. Moreover using prims one can create accessories such as hats that are not possible using only sliders.
Apparel is easily the largest single category of items for sale in the Second Life Marketplace with over four hundred thousand items listed for sale as at the 1st of February 2011. It is probably also the largest category of items for sale inworld, although definitive data on this is very hard to obtain as there is no inworld listing of all goods offered for sale.