The term 'moleskine' often appears when describing workwear garments, but what is it? Moleskine is a thick cotton cloth with a very tight twill, covered with an oil coating. This combination gives the fabric its peculiar glow and amazing finish, with a soft leather or velvet feel. Amazing glow & velvet feel of moleskine. What is the origin of the word ‘moleskine’? It comes from the English ‘mole skin’, when mole fur was used for garments (gruesome detail; you needed at least