Clothing material that becomes 3-Down after “doubling” a letter NYT crossword clue

The clue “Clothing material that becomes 3-Down after ‘doubling’ a letter” points to the answer SUEDE. Suede is a soft leather material commonly used in jackets, shoes, and other clothing. The clever twist in the clue lies in the wordplay: if you double the “E” in SUEDE, you get SUEEDE, which forms the name SUE EDE—or more accurately, the clue’s 3-Down answer is likely SEED. Doubling the “E” turns SUEDE into SEEDED, which shares a root with SEED.

This is a classic NYT Mini clue, combining vocabulary knowledge with a dash of letterplay. Instead of focusing purely on the material itself, the solver must notice how a simple letter modification transforms the word into another valid crossword answer. It’s a small riddle within the puzzle and rewards creative, lateral thinking.