A clothing for a machine for producing a fibrous web, more particularly a paper or cardboard web, is substantially formed from a film-shaped material having a first surface facing the fibrous web and a second surface facing away from the fibrous web. The clothing includes a plurality of through openings each extending along a central axis from the first surface to the second surface. The central axes of at least some of the through openings in the covering enclose an angle with the first surface which differs from 90°. A machine for producing a fibrous web, more particularly a paper or cardboard web, includes the clothing. A method for producing the clothing includes making the through openings in the film-shaped material by using a laser.