Leather Properties and Care
Is Leather a Textile?
Leather is not a textile: textiles are built from fibers and yarns, while leather is tanned hide. See how labels and customs codes classify it.
No. In the technical sense leather is not a textile: a textile is a fiber-based material such as fiber, yarn, thread or fabric, while leather is hide or skin tanned to be rot-proof, with its original fibrous structure more or less intact. Labelling rules and customs codes put the two in separate groups.
This answer is part of our hub on leather properties and care.
Textile vs leather: the definitions
The key difference is assembly. A textile is made by putting fibers together; leather is a whole skin that has been preserved.
| Column 1 | Textile | Leather | Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starts as | Fibers, usually spun into yarn | An animal hide or skin | – |
| How it is made | Yarn is woven, knitted, crocheted or braided; felting and bonding turn fibers straight into fabric | Tanning stabilizes the skin proteins, mainly collagen | – |
| Structure | Built up from separate fibers | The skin's own fibrous structure, more or less intact | – |
| Word origin | Latin textilis, "woven" | — | – |
How leather is classified
- EU textile law. Regulation 1007/2011 defines a textile product as one made exclusively of textile fibers, and a textile fiber as flexible, fine and much longer than it is wide.
- EU footwear labels. Shoes are labeled part by part (upper, lining and sock, outersole) as leather, coated leather, textile or other materials, so leather and textile are separate choices on the same label.
- Customs codes. The Harmonized System used for trade puts raw hides, skins and leather in Section VIII (Chapters 41 to 43) and textiles in Section XI (Chapters 50 to 63).
The textile world still deals with leather. Textile Exchange, which works with the fashion and textile industry on materials, covers leather too and describes it as made from the hide or skin of animals, almost all raised for meat.
Is leather a natural textile?
Leather is a natural material, but by the definitions above it is not a textile. Whether it counts as a "fabric" or "cloth" in everyday speech is a separate question, answered in is leather a fabric?.
Faux leather is different. Polyurethane faux leather is a base fabric with a plastic coating on top, so it does contain a textile. Bonded leather uses a fiber or paper backer covered with shredded leather fibers and a binder. See can leather peel? for how these layers behave over time.
Why the difference matters
Leather does not take textile care. Leather Collection's care page says normal dry cleaning strips essential oils and can make leather crack, fade and shrink, and that leather should never go in a dryer.
It also behaves differently in use: see is leather water-resistant? and what makes leather breathable. Most Leather Collection men's leather jackets are cowhide or sheepskin, with a few in lambskin or goatskin.
FAQ
How is leather classified?
As its own material group: EU footwear labels list it separately from textiles, and customs codes place it with hides and skins, not with textiles.
Does leather count as a textile?
Not under textile definitions, which describe materials built from fibers, yarns and fabrics.
HitKB Editorial Team
HitKB articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.