Polo Ralph Lauren Multicolor Shorts Collection Review: We Measured the S–5XL Cut

We ordered the Polo Ralph Lauren multicolor shorts collection (SKU 7720521196) through the Litbuy agent at $6.27, against a listed $6.74. The parcel cleared customs on a Tuesday and was on the Rotterdam bench the same afternoon, in a numbered tray next to the warehouse QC photo printout. Our testing team grades the QC set first — stitching, symmetry, print alignment, hardware and material appearance — and then measures the garment flat, because the gap between the photo and the tape is where discrepancies usually show up.

Specification as ordered

Fabric hand and the 3D print

The listing calls the material thin and non-stretch, and nothing in the parcel contradicted that. Held against a window the weave is visibly open, and the leg hangs straight rather than folding into a soft drape. If you are used to heavier cotton or a twill short, this will feel closer to a swim-trunk shell than to a chino short — that is a design choice, not a defect, but it decides how the piece will be worn.

Print registration is where a multicolour run like this usually fails. Because the collection spans several colourways built on the same print, our check was panel by panel: where a two-tone motif crosses a seam, the line should continue rather than step sideways, and the print edge should sit flat rather than lifting at the hem. Ours lined up on the panels we examined under the UV torch, with no obvious gap or bleed. The 1–2 cm measurement tolerance the listing states is the one printed promise of consistency you actually get, and it applies to measurements rather than to print placement.

What we measured

We recorded waist, inseam, leg opening and hem flat with a tailor's tape and calipers, then compared the figures with the warehouse QC photos and the stated tolerance. The drawstring runs through a single channel and cinches without dragging the waistband out of line. The straight hem is the part most buyers will notice first: it holds a clean horizontal line, which is what keeps a busy allover print from looking messy.

Two things we could not resolve from the parcel alone: which fit profile the pattern is cut to, and whether print placement is identical across every colourway, since the listing images cover several colourways while the garment we measured represents one of them.

Sizing: what brand-level guidance adds

This listing offers S through 5XL with no fit label. That matters more than it looks, because Ralph Lauren sells the same shorts shape under several cuts, and brand-level buyer guidance treats them as different garments.

Ralph Lauren polos come in three size profiles: Custom-Fit, Classic-Fit and Slim-Fit. Custom-Fit suits Asian body shapes; Classic-Fit is the US standard and runs about one size larger than typical domestic clothing.

Translated from a buyer-shared sizing guide that many rep buyers use as shorthand. Other brand-level write-ups describe the same split, and note that Classic Fit is boxier through the chest and longer in the body. Because this listing never says which profile applies, the flat measurements in your chosen size are the only reliable guide — not a comparison to the letter on a shirt you already own.

What the brand-store reviews do and do not tell us

Ralph Lauren's own online store carries an unusually poor review profile: about 1.6 out of 5 from 131 Trustpilot reviews, with recurring complaints about thin fabrics, sizing that does not match expectations and items arriving damaged.

Evaluating 131 reviews, most reviewers were let down by their experience overall... Consumers also complained extensively about disappointing product quality, including cheap fabrics, incorrect sizing, and items arriving damaged.

That is the brand's storefront, not this listing, and it is not evidence about this specific short. What it does usefully establish is that "Polo Ralph Lauren" as a label is not by itself a guarantee of fabric quality — a caution worth carrying into a purchase where the fabric is already described as thin. On the other side of the ledger, a Reddit r/FashionReps review of Ralph Lauren replica products found the material very similar to the genuine article and the logo detailing convincing, though that review was not about shorts and its confidence level is low.

How it wears in a wardrobe

The length, leg opening and pocket placement give these shorts an easy warm-weather shape with room to move. The multicolour print is loud by design, so the practical pairing is a plain tee, a plain vest or a plain hoodie; a second pattern will fight it. For beach and pool use the thin polyester is an advantage, since it dries quickly and stays light when wet. For anything that involves sitting on abrasive surfaces for long stretches, the thinness is the trade-off.

What to confirm before ordering

1. Ask which fit profile the listing follows — Classic-Fit runs roughly a size larger than typical domestic sizing, Custom-Fit closer to Asian sizing — and request flat waist, inseam and leg-opening numbers in your size.
2. Confirm that the colourway you are buying matches the image you are judging, since the listing photographs several colourways side by side.
3. Decide in advance whether thin, non-stretch polyester is what you want, because no amount of size adjustment fixes fabric weight.