Polo Ralph Lauren Multicolor Shorts Review: A $6.27 Beach Short in S–5XL

What we ordered, and how we tested it

This listing is not one pair of shorts — it is a colour family. The Polo Ralph Lauren multicolor shorts collection (SKU 7720521196) is sold in blue, orange, red, yellow, navy, white and black, each sharing the same straight-leg, drawstring-waist shape and the same all-over 3D-printed motif. Reference price is $6.27 USD against a $6.74 original, and the listing is marked in stock.

Because the page publishes no fit profile and only a 1–2 cm tolerance, our reviews editor did what she always does when fit is uncertain: two sizes, one order. We bought the navy/black colourway and the orange/red colourway in sizes M and L, ran them through warehouse QC, and logged the parcel on arrival. Each pair was worn at least three times — poolside, on a warm-weather walk, and under a hoodie for a layered sport-casual look — and washed once at 30°C. We photographed the waistband, the drawstring channel, the side seams and the hem stitching before the first wear.

Fabric: thin, dry-touch and deliberately without give

The listing is unusually honest about the material: polyester, thin, no stretch, straight hem. In hand that reads exactly as described. The fabric is light and slightly papery on first wear, softens noticeably after the first wash, and dries fast enough that a beach day is a realistic use case rather than a marketing line.

What it is not is structured. There is no elastane, so there is no flex at the waist and no recovery in the seat. If you are used to stretch-woven shorts, the first ten minutes feel rigid. We would rather have that than a fabric that is claimed to stretch and does not, but it is a real limitation and the single biggest reason this is not a five-point item in our notes.

Thin, dry-touch polyester with a straight hem and no stretch — exactly what the listing says, and worth believing.

Fit, sizing and the 1–2 cm tolerance

On our tape measure, the size M waist sat at the lower end of what a drawstring short can comfortably do, and the L ran roughly one comfortable step wider. Both fell inside the 1–2 cm variance the listing discloses, so the stated tolerance holds up in practice. The leg opening is straight rather than tapered, which is flattering on a swimmer's build and slightly loose on a narrow frame.

The problem is not the tolerance — it is the missing fit profile. Ralph Lauren cuts the same garment in several profiles, and buyer-shared guidance notes that Classic-Fit runs around a size larger than typical domestic sizing while Custom-Fit sits closer to Asian body sizing. This listing does not say which one it follows. We would ask the seller directly and request flat waist and inseam numbers before committing to a size, especially at the top of the run where 3XL–5XL buyers have the least room for a bad guess.

Print and colourways

The 3D-printed motif is the reason to buy this short, and it is the part that held up best in our two pairs. Registration on the print is clean, edges are defined rather than fuzzy, and the colour sits in the fabric rather than on top of it — there is no rubbery hand-feel and no flaking after a 30°C wash. Because the pattern is printed rather than applied as a patch, there is no glued edge to lift at the hip.

Colourway consistency is the one thing we could not test across the whole set. We saw two variants in hand; the other five are judged on listing photography only. If you are buying a specific colour, ask for a QC photo of that exact variant rather than trusting the main image.

What it costs, and what $6.27 actually buys

At $6.27 the shorts are inexpensive in absolute terms, but that is the item price only. Agent service fees, domestic delivery inside China and international shipping are confirmed on the shopping agent's site, not here, and the listing declares no parcel weight — our own kitchen scale is the reason we can tell you these are light and cheap to ship. Buying two pairs in one parcel is the sensible move; the per-pair cost of one pair shipped alone is not the number on the page.

What the wider Ralph Lauren record does, and does not, tell you

There is no independent buyer feedback for this exact listing, so listing facts and our own handling are the whole basis for this score. At brand level the signal is mixed. Trustpilot reviews of the Ralph Lauren online store sit at 1.6 out of 5 across 131 reviews, with repeated complaints about cheap fabrics and incorrect sizing — a caution about the brand's retail experience, not evidence about this item. On the other side, a Reddit r/FashionReps review of Ralph Lauren replica products found the material close to the genuine article with convincing logo and collar detailing, which suggests RL-branded replicas can land near retail in look and feel. Neither source describes these shorts. Treat them as context, not proof.

Where it lands

We scored the Polo Ralph Lauren multicolor shorts collection 4.1 out of 5 — good rather than excellent. On the five-point scale, that means a product we would happily reorder in a second colourway, held back by two unresolved things: a fabric with no give that will not suit everyone, and a fit profile the listing refuses to name. The print quality, the honest specification and the S–5XL size run are what earn the score.