sharkskin

American  

[shahrk-skin] / ˈʃɑrkˌskɪn /

noun

1. a smooth fabric of acetate or rayon with a dull or chalklike appearance, for apparel.

2. a fine worsted fabric in twill weave, compact in texture and light to medium in weight, for suits.

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sharkskin British  

/ ˈʃɑːkˌskɪn /

noun

1. a smooth glossy fabric of acetate rayon, used for sportswear, etc

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Etymology

Origin of sharkskin

First recorded in 1850–55; shark ¹ + skin

Example Sentences

And no one looked better in spearpoint collars and sharkskin silk suits than Ray.

From Seattle Times • May 29, 2022

Several readers weighed in, some of them curious about the admittedly bizarre items I was so excited about discovering at the Tysons Corner Marshalls: striped jeans and a sharkskin suit.

From Washington Post • Dec. 17, 2017

Motown, par exemple, was all about sartorial consistency: identical sharkskin suits for the Temptations and color-coordinated chiffon for the Supremes.

From Slate • May 14, 2015

This spring, he handed the chef’s position over to Ken Hosoki, who was carving delicate sheets of rarely seen species like hairtail when I arrived while another chef rubbed a wasabi root on sharkskin.

From New York Times • Aug. 12, 2014

I’d thought my sharkskin zoot and my swagger made me big stuff around Roxbury.

From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz