To be clear...animate the figure first. Make it go through all the motions you want. The character can go through different motions on separate takes then conbined to create a larger animation. Once you finish animating the figure you then introduce the cloth object in the first frame of the animation. Then take both the figure and the cloth to the cloth editor and dessignate your vertices as needed. Depending on the cloth outfit some vertices may have to be attached to the figure at certain locations like the shoulders, waist and so forth. Other parts of the cloth may be just belt buckles, pockets, buttons, belt loops and so forth these may be dissignated as designer vertices and are attached to the cloth object. You can also use the spinners to tell the editor just how you want the cloth to flow and react. It's a little involved but quite rewarding when you can get it to do what you want. As an aside, the cloth can be exported during any phase of the animation in the particular pose so if you're doing a still the whole thing can be exported in that pose.