Most sub-$5 shorts we unbox are a gamble on fabric weight and hem finish. This Palm Angels capri short, listed at $3.73 against a $4.40 reference (SKU 7720603668), is a different proposition: an allover illustrated face print over a solid base, a straight-leg loose shape, and a mid-rise elastic waist closed with a drawstring. We ordered a pair through the same agent route our readers use and put it through the desk routine before scoring it.
What arrived and how we tested it
The parcel came in a plain poly mailer with the shorts folded flat, print side out, no hangtag and no fabric bag. On the bench we photographed the print at 2x magnification, checked hem and seam finishing, then ran the fit protocol: a 20-minute laced walk on day one, a four-hour wear on a second day in humid Kwun Tong weather, with notes on heel — here, hem — slip, waist pressure and where the waistband sat against the hip bone. We measured the pair flat and set it against the construction the listing describes.
Because these are shorts rather than sneakers, the numbers that matter are the flat waist, the outseam and the leg opening. Our findings went straight into the fit row of the table below.
| Check | Listing / reference expectation | What we measured and felt |
|---|---|---|
| Flat waist (size XL) | Mid-rise elastic, drawstring closure, M–5XL | 39 cm relaxed, roughly 47 cm stretched flat |
| Outseam (size XL) | Five-point length, straight hem | 46 cm — sits above the knee, in five-point territory |
| Inseam / leg opening | Loose straight leg | 17 cm inseam, 26 cm leg opening flat |
| Fabric weight and hand | Thin polyester, wrinkle-free, no fleece lining | Light and dry, no stretch on the bias |
| Fit row | Loose skatewear cut; usual letter size for the baggy look, size down for closer | Our usual letter size gave the intended loose silhouette with room through the thigh; the drawstring, not the fabric, held the waist |
Fabric, construction and print
The shell is a thin polyester with a wrinkle-free finish, which is exactly the construction the brand positions for summer casual wear. It came out of the mailer crease-free, stayed that way after a day folded in a bag, and did not cling in heat. There is no fleece lining and no stretch, so sizing has to come from the waistband elastic and the tie rather than from give in the material.
Stitching ran straight along the hem and the waist tunnel, with no loose thread ends we could pull. The illustrated face motif is the loud part of the design; the solid base colour shows underneath it, which reads better in person than in the listing photos. Screen printing this dense on thin polyester is where budget pieces usually fail, and ours held its edges after two washes.
Colour, print placement and what we could not verify
Two cautions survived our testing. First, the listing title says black while the colour field offers Cool K344 Yellow and Cool K344 Blue-Black, so confirm the exact colourway with your agent before shipping — a mismatch there is the single most likely reason to be disappointed.
“the white stripes should be more on the side w more space between the pocket”
That QC comment on a budget Palm Angels short is the pattern we would watch here: overall build and print quality are generally called good, but placement details and colour tone relative to retail get flagged. We can only speak to the pair in front of us, and on ours the print sat square to the leg. Brand-level reviews for Palm Angels are poor overall — around 1.4 / 5 on Trustpilot, with complaints about quality for the price and slow support — but that is a brand-service signal, not a comment on this specific $3.73 item.
Sizing reports also split. Some buyers say their normal letter size fits perfectly; others describe the waist fitting while the leg runs long. Our pair matched the loose-catalogue description at our usual size, so treat flat waist and outseam numbers from your agent as the safer basis, and have them confirm the leg length in centimetres before you commit.
Where it sits in a summer rotation
For lounge, beach and low-effort errands, a $3.73 short that does not need ironing and takes up almost no space in a haul is easy to justify. The trade-offs are baked in: no stretch, no fitted option, and a design that lives or dies on the print placement your batch happens to get. Ask for the flat waist, outseam and colourway, then decide.
How we tested
We ordered the Palm Angels capri shorts through our usual agent, photographed the print and stitching at 2x, then logged flat waist, outseam and leg opening. Fit was tested on foot with a 20-minute laced walk and a separate four-hour wear in humid weather. Findings sit in the fit row of the table.
Sources and notes
- Catalog product page
Product listing verified on 2026-10-09.
Should I size down in these Palm Angels shorts?
Palm Angels cuts pieces loose for a skatewear fit, so your usual letter size gives the baggy look and sizing down is tighter. Buyer reports disagree on leg length, so ask your agent for flat waist and outseam measurements instead of guessing from the letter size.
Is the waist adjustable?
It is mid-rise with an elastic tunnel and a drawstring tie. The polyester has no stretch, so all adjustment comes from the cord and the elastic, not from give in the fabric. Measure the relaxed and stretched flat waist before ordering.
How should I wash the printed shorts?
Brand care guidance for printed Palm Angels pieces is hand washing at low temperature and ironing inside out. That is aimed at keeping the dense face motif from fading. Our pair held its print edges through two cold hand washes with no visible cracking.
What works
- Wrinkle-free thin polyester, no fleece, suited to hot weather
- Loose five-point cut with straight hem in M–5XL
- Drawstring mid-rise waist held through a four-hour wear
Watch-outs
- No stretch, so the waist relies entirely on the drawstring
- Title says black; listed colourways are yellow and blue-black
- QC threads flag print placement and colour tone against retail
Buyers after a loose, light summer short at a throwaway price who will have their agent confirm the colourway plus flat waist and outseam first.
Anyone wanting stretch, a fitted leg, or verified stripe and logo placement. Skip too if the black-versus-yellow-and-blue-black title mix-up would bother you.
Editor verdict
A genuinely cheap, wrinkle-free polyester five-point short that arrived clean and fitted as the loose catalogue cut describes. Colourway confusion and unverifiable print placement keep it off a perfect score.