Polo Ralph Lauren Multicolor Shorts Review: Thin Polyester, Wide Size Run

What arrived

The listing covers a single short shape sold across a multicolor range — blue, orange, red, yellow, navy, white and black — all with a drawstring waist, a straight leg opening and an all-over 3D print. Our order landed as SKU 7720521196 at $6.27, marked down from $6.74 and showing as in stock at the time of writing. The parcel contained one pair of shorts; the drawstring arrived pre-threaded, and printed care and material information sat on the inner waistband rather than a swing tag.

The stated build is thin, non-stretch polyester with a 1–2 cm measurement tolerance, positioned for beach and summer wear and dated to a 2026 spring release. Sizes run S, M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL, 4XL and 5XL.

How we tested

Parcels reach our Kwun Tong unit three or four times a week, and the first hour after delivery goes to documentation: box weight, outer packaging, inner wrap, accessory count, agent order number, payment date, QC photo set date, tracking handoff and door-to-door days. This pair then went through the standard bench inspection at 2x magnification — print registration across the side seams, waistband stitching density, hem finishing and the drawstring eyelets.

Fit ran on foot afterwards. We walked 20 minutes with the shorts laced at the waist (the drawstring tied, as most buyers will wear it) and completed a separate four-hour wear day in warm, humid conditions. Waistband creep, hem ride-up and pocket flare were logged into the fit row of the comparison table, alongside flat measurements taken in millimetres against a retail Ralph Lauren short from the reference shelf.

Fit and measurements

Sizing is the whole decision on this pair, because the fabric gives nothing. Our size L sample measured as follows, flat and unstretched:

Every figure sits inside the listing's stated 1–2 cm tolerance band, so the numbers you are given are worth trusting — but only if you confirm which fit profile the seller is cutting. During the 20-minute walk the waistband held without the drawstring needing a re-tie, and the hem stayed where it was put. Over the four-hour day the thin polyester showed the two behaviours you would expect: the fabric creased visibly across the front after sitting, and the straight hem lifted slightly when we walked uphill. Nothing slipped, nothing chafed, and the pockets lay flat when empty.

Fabric and print

This is a genuinely thin polyester — closer in hand to a swim short or a printed liner than to a cotton twill. It dries fast, packs to nothing and breathes when you are standing still. What it does not do is hold structure, and it has no stretch, which is why we treat the flat waist measurement as the number that matters rather than the label.

The 3D print is applied to the cloth rather than being a sewn-on patch or appliqué, and on our sample the registration across the side seams was clean, with no visible drift between the front and back panels. Pattern placement does vary between colourways, and the listing shows multiple variants under one product page — so if a specific colourway's layout matters to you, compare the images for that variant before ordering rather than judging from the main photo.

Sizing context from the brand

Ralph Lauren sells several fit profiles under one brand name, and this is the single most useful thing to understand before choosing. Buyer-shared guidance on the brand's sizing describes three profiles:

Custom-Fit suits closer to Asian body sizing. Classic-Fit is the US standard size and runs about one size larger than typical domestic sizing. Slim-Fit is the narrowest of the three.

This listing does not name a fit profile, so treat that as the open question rather than an assumption. It also sits against a mixed brand-level record: reviews of the Ralph Lauren online store skew heavily critical — 1.6 out of 5 from 131 Trustpilot reviews, with cheap fabrics and incorrect sizing among the recurring complaints — while a separate r/FashionReps hands-on write-up of RL replica knitwear found the material very similar to the genuine item. Neither tells you what this specific batch of shorts will feel like. Our own sample is the only data point we can stand behind.

What to verify before ordering

• Ask the seller which fit profile the cut follows and request flat waist, rise, inseam and leg opening figures for your size.
• Confirm whether the drawstring is functional or purely decorative on your chosen variant.
• Check the variant images for your exact colourway, since pattern placement moves between them.

Where it lands

At $6.27 this is a beach-and-summer short that does the job it advertises: light, fast-drying, boldly printed and available in a size run most brands stop short of. We rate the pair 4 / 5 — good, with the reservations stated plainly above. The points it loses are the ones the listing already admits: no stretch, a thin hand, and a fit profile you have to chase down yourself. Verify those two things first and there is very little left to be surprised by on arrival.