Kidskin

Pair of infant's kidskin boots, 1890s. LACMA, M.54.21.4a-b

Kidskin or kid leather is a type of soft, thin leather that is traditionally used for gloves (hence the phrase 'kid gloves,' used since at least 1888 as a metaphor for careful handling).[1] It is widely used for other fashion purposes such as footwear and clothing. Kidskin is traditionally made from goatskin – more specifically, the skin of young goats (or 'kids'), although equivalent leathers such as lambskin and chickenskin (actually a form of calfskin) give the same effect.[2]

  1. ^ Victor, Terry; Dalzell, Tom (2007). The Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English. Routledge. p. 381. ISBN 978-1134615346.
  2. ^ Cumming, Valerie (1982). Gloves (Reprinted. ed.). London: Batsford. ISBN 9780713410082.