Leather Armour?

[Ghostmojo]

I have come across a few references to muscled (and non-muscled) leather armour here and there, and recently flicking through Duncan Head's book Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars 359BC to 146BC, there are few illustrations within which also indicate this kind of protection.

I was wondering what the general views about this were. Did leather cuirasses/thoraxes start to become more common? Were they muscled/shaped or just more simple forms? Were they coloured in any particular way? I am referring to what is often termed a Spolades rather than a spolas or linothorax type construct. I'm interested in the type of armour that seems to mirror the bronze or iron muscled cuirass, but is instead moulded in leather. It would seem like a cheaper alternative and perhaps was mainly adopted by officers?

I readily admit to not having detailed in-depth knowledge about the extent of this kind of gear, who used it, when it first appeared, to what extent it spread etc.; which is why I am asking this question. Is it correct to say it seems to have been well-established in Roman times, and if so, how much in the Greek/Hellenistic period I wonder?