moleskin n : a durable cotton fabric with a velvety nap

English

Noun

1. The fur of a mole
2. A cotton twill fabric with a heavy velvety nap
3. clothing made of this fabric

This article is about the fabric and movie prop. For the notebook, see Moleskine.

Moleskin, originally referring to the short, silky fur of a mole, is heavy cotton fabric, woven and then sheared to create a short soft pile on one side. The word is also used for clothing made from this fabric. It is also used in adhesive pads stuck to the feet to prevent blisters.

Clothing made from moleskin is noted for its softness and durability. Some variants of the cloth are so densely-woven as to be windproof. Most manufacture of this cloth takes place in British mills. Noted clothiers who use a great deal of moleskin in their garments are Barbour and Lambourne.

A moleskin is also a flesh coloured piece of covering for the genital area of a female. The name derives from the shape of the covering. Such were often used by moviemakers in Hollywood. The most famous incident involving a moleskin, was when Janet Leigh lost hers during the shower scene of Psycho. Unshaken, she merely remarked that no-one (meaning the staff present) was seeing anything they had not seen before.