A Bellevue-based T-shirt line — motto: "Our clothes tell secrets" — has inspired an episode of "CSI: NY." In the made-for-TV version, the clothes not only tell secrets but solve crimes. Naturally.

"CSI" creator Anthony E. Zuiker was intrigued by a T-shirt designed by edoc laundry, a local fledgling clothing company which has gained a cult following online with its shirts containing hidden messages. The messages may then be used to unlock clues to an ongoing mystery on the company Web site (www.edoclaundry.com). If it all sounds too confusing or labor-intensive, all you really need to know is that the shirts have street cred and they're about to be famous.

"You show me a shirt that has a secret code in it, and that's a 'CSI' episode made in heaven," Zuiker said in a phone interview last week. "I thought, well, hey, let me bring in a small company and borrow their intellectual property to make our show cool."

(I must disclose here that I was introduced to these shirts last spring and even wrote about them over the summer, but at the time did not recognize their true star potential. I merely thought they were "cute." Note to self: Do not make same mistake with future offspring.)

In the episode titled "Hung Out to Dry," a serial killer uses coded T-shirts to mark his victims and communicate to investigators about his brother, whom he believed was wrongly jailed and killed while awaiting trial. Edoc laundry worked closely with "CSI" writers to custom-design four T-shirts, which are now available on the company's Web site.

"It was quite awesome," said edoc laundry co-founder Shane Small. "Our whole philosophy is to tell stories and to give our consumers entertainment through our T-shirts, so we just feel that the marriage between 'CSI' and our story is a great fit."

Small and another co-founder, Elan Lee — both big "CSI" fans — were invited to visit the set and even filmed a scene as extras.

"There was this really cool moment where we walked on set, and they announced us. They stopped production and it was so cool because everyone started applauding," Lee said. "We're looking around, trying to suppress the urge to ask for autographs, and they're applauding us."

The "CSI: NY" episode featuring edoc laundry airs 10 p.m. Oct. 11 (KIRO).

Recaps!

"Project Runway"

Verdammt! Heidi Klum! Those are all the German words I know. Especially since I didn't get to hear Heidi say "auf wiedersehen" to any of the designers last week. Um, does anyone know the German translation for "total copout"? (10 p.m. Wednesdays, Bravo)

"The Amazing Race"

My favorite homophobic father/gay daughter team is eliminated in Vietnam. Duke: "A lot of these girls on the street walk arm-in-arm. Do you think they're just friends or what?" Hey, I heard from some guy in my office that you can buy gay-dar online. (8 p.m. Sundays, KIRO)

"Survivor: Cook Islands"

The four tribes merge into two interracial groups — so much for the "social experiment" — but by this point most bored viewers have already defected to ABC's "Ugly Betty." It takes place on an island (Manhattan), has just as much diversity and people don't have to starve, they just choose to. (8 p.m. Thursdays, KIRO)

"America's Next

Top Model"

The girls get makeovers, and Monique apparently transforms into a cast member of "The Real World": She spends 3 ½ hours on the phone just to irritate her roommates. The makeovers are fairly tame (read: boring) this season, with the exception of Jaeda, who now looks like Eva Mendes with Halle Berry hair. (8 p.m. Wednesdays, KSTW)

"Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County "

Rocky asks her new boyfriend, Alex, to winter formal: "I hate formal. I don't have good memories from it. Girls get mean, and they back-stab each other, and they steal each other's dates ... I want you to be my date to winter formal." As it turns out, girls don't get less confusing as they grow up. (10 p.m. Wednesdays, MTV)

"Dancing with

the Stars"

In: Former cheesy '80s TV actors. Five Minutes Ago: Former boy banders. Out: Harry Hamlin. (8 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, KOMO)

Pamela Sitt: 206-464-2376 or psitt@seattletimes.com