Back in the mid '70s when We were kids I was burning off a piece of 1/2x2" with a welding rod, I didn't have a torch yet. My friend was watching, He was wearing red nylon sneakers that were popular then, and tattered bell bottom blue jeans. He got some sparks in His sneaker, and by the time He realised what was happening and put out the fire, a triangular section of His pants leg up to His knee and the side of His sneaker was gone. He wasn't burned much, I guess the bell bottoms were pretty far from His leg.
Its used to treat children's clothing (they need to be fire retardant by law, and there aren't many other treatments with as safe a record), mattresses (same deal), cigarettes (this is what makes new cigarettes self extinguishing), home insulation (where other chemicals are used as well), and is even used in certain eye washes.
Still, I don't blame you, and haven't tried this on my clothing (although I've got a bin of work shirts with plenty of holes that I might give it a try with).
On the note of children's clothing: current recommendations are to keep sleepwear snug fitting. Loose fitting clothes burn easier, with more access to air. It seems that clothing stretched over skin doesn't burn as well, not that I'm one who buys into the superhero look (since as I say, "I'm in shape; round's a shape, right?").
So, what holds up as well as cowhide. Well, wool for one (although I couldn't imagine wearing a shirt that itchy), and of course there's nomex. Nomex shirts (not just in firefighter colors) can sometimes be had on eBay for reasonable prices (oops, did I give a secret away?). Unfortunately, all of these are stuffy and hot, and nothing feels like cotton, but a nomex shirt is still way lighter and cooler than leather.
The non stick gauze soaked in silvadene is probably better than the "second skin" pads, since those are just sterile water (in gel form), and don't provide the antibacterial function of the silvadene.
Anyway, we all make mistakes, it's the price of being human. Hopefully we can all take a lesson from this.