Etymology From leather + -ette (suffix forming nouns meaning an imitation or substitute of something); originally a trademark that has since been genericized.
1
Also A type of fabric, often plastic, made to imitate the appearance of leather.
Many attempts have been made to supply a material to take the place of leather on cheap books, but hitherto nothing has been quite successful. [...] Such a material has apparently appeared in the form of "Leatherette," which is a kind of felted paper, very tough, the same colour throughout, and which may be grained to imitate leather; indeed, the imitation is so close, both in appearance and in feel, that only a practised eye can perceive that it is not leather.1875 May 4, “Leatherette”, in The Bookseller: A Newspaper of British and Foreign Literature, […], number CCX, London: Printed b John Ogden & Co., […], for the proprietor, Joseph Whitaker, […], →ISSN, →OCLC, page 405, column 1:
Material.—A rather stiff quality of jute board or tar board, similar to that used by bookbinders. Straw board is not serviceable, being too brittle. Also leatherette for covering and some figured paper for lining. Also some muslin or sateen for hinges. This should match the leatherette as nearly as possible in color. (Leatherette is an imitation leather, very durable, obtained at a paper house.)1894 September 1, Walter J. Kenyon, “Paper and Cardboard Sloyd. VIII.”, in The School Journal: A Weekly Journal of Education, volume XLIX, number 7, New York, N.Y.; Chicago, Ill.: E. L. Kellogg & Co., →OCLC, page 157:
4 more examples
The present bound book will be changed to a loose-leaf one, by shearing off the back and punching the leaves to fit an up-to-date cover. We have obtained a neat, classy, leatherette cover for this purpose, using imitation leather because it is neater than cloth, and cheaper and more durable than real leather.1912 January, R[obert] C. Matthews, Secretary, the Executive Council, “The Catalog Plan”, in Harold C. Dean, editor, The Bent of Tau Beta Pi, volume VII, number I, Menasha, Wis.: Tau Beta Pi; George Banta, official printer to the fraternity, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 45:
[T]he pink throats of gramophones opened their giant convolutions in a soundless chorus; or bicycles shining in neat ranks seemed to await the signal of an invisible starter; or tiers of fancy-goods in leatherette and paste and celluloid dangled their insidious graces; [...]1917, Edith Wharton, chapter IX, in Summer […], New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC, page 133:
[H]e proceeded to a very hard seat in Block J. and, having forced his way into it, was immediately ordered to force his way out again for the purpose of hiring two small leatherette pads from the Kumfy Kushion Company—who, however, had only one small leatherette pad left, so that Chunks Rivers found himself in considerable torment long before the downfall of England began.1926 December, Denis Mackail, “The Two Mirrors”, in Geo[rge] Newnes, editor, The Strand Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly, volume LXXII, London: George Newnes, Ltd., […], →OCLC, page 532, column 2:
Beside the wallet and its contents there were three gaily colored silk handkerchiefs fragrant of chypre; a platinum Longines watch on a platinum and red gold chain, attached at the other end to a small pear-shaped pendant of some white metal; a handful of United States, British, French, and Chinese coins; a ring holding half a dozen keys; a silver and onyx fountain-pen; a metal comb in a leatherette case; a nail-file in a leatherette case; [...]1930, Dashiell Hammet, “The Levantine”, in The Maltese Falcon, New York, N.Y.; London: Alfred A[braham] Knopf, →OCLC, pages 57–58:
Slang A person, especially a woman, who dresses in leather or imitation leather.
The NYU [New York University] tarts and the club slime, the art holes and the once-a-week bridge-and-tunnel leatherettes, the spikes and the usual dregs and walking garbage, Eel was giving them all the hiss.1994, George Dawes Green, chapter 27, in The Caveman’s Valentine, New York, N.Y.: Warner Books, →ISBN; ebook edition, New York, N.Y.: Warner Books, March 2001, →ISBN:
Since I seemed to know some of the leatherettes, I was a magnet for fellow Jews wanting to know what was going on.2003 August 19, Bruce Vilanch, “Heathers in Leathers”, in Bruce C. Steele, editor, The Advocate, Los Angeles, Calif.: Liberation Publications, →ISSN, page 66, column 2:
1 more example
I could tell in advance if they were screamers, or leatherettes, or buggers, or great head-givers, or into toys and ticklers – I had it down to an art.2005, Tom Horn, chapter 2, in The Devil and George Bailey, [s.l.]: RSE, published 2011, →ISBN, part III (Fire), page 827: