[reptile202]

For an example: the same type of fabrics shirts are made of. I understand the big issue is they tend to have little holes in them, allowing acid to leak through. But that's not what I'm asking; I'm asking could the fabric in general be made where acid wouldn't be able to dissolve it - at least for a while?

If it's not possible today, is it logically possible that one-day it could be?

[fledarmus]

That all depends on what you mean by "the same type of fabric shirts are made of". I will assume for the moment that you mean fabric woven from threads, rather than the amorphous sheets which are used for most forms of personal protective equipment.

Most natural fibres are either plant derived and based on cellulose, or animal derived and based on proteins. Both cellulose and proteins are easily cleaved by acids, so natural fibres by themselves are pretty much out. It is possible to rubberize the material to make it more acid resistant - many of the water resistant compounds are effective for making acid-resistant fabrics as well, since they are hydrophobic and most of the acids you worry about in the lab are hydrophilic. However, once the coating wears off of the fibres, they are again subject to attack by the acid.

There are many artificial fibers which are not affected by acids, including polyethylenes, polypropylenes, and polyacrylates. These can all be spun into fibers and used to make clothing which would be unaffected by the occasional acid splash. Polyurethanes, polyesters, and polyamides (nylons) would all break down with acid.

But as you said, anything woven would be able to let some acid through the pores. You would either need to waterproof the material or make it in sheets that do not have pores.