Leather

From DwarfFortressWiki

Leather is the tanned hide of an animal. It can be used to make many things, including clothing, shields, armor, and crafts at the leather works.

Leather armor will be worn by civilians with the 'Hunting' skill enabled, or by military dwarves with at least leather armor enabled. Dwarves instructed to wear chain mail and plate mail armor will still wear leather if chain mail and plate mail armor are unavailable.

Making leather requires a tannery workshop, a raw hide or skin from an animal, and a dwarf with the 'tanning' skill turned on. Rotten hides or skin cannot be tanned. The human and dwarven caravans also sell various leather hides, in case few animals inhabit the map.