Polo Ralph Lauren Multicolor Shorts Collection Review: Thin Polyester, S–5XL

This is not a kako sheet, and we did not score it as one. It is the product assigned to this page: a very cheap, very light straight-hem short sold under the Polo Ralph Lauren name, listed at 6.27 USD against a 6.74 USD original price, in stock, SKU 7720521196. We ordered a pair through the normal retail channel, logged the arrival date and price, and put it through a shortened version of our bench routine before writing this.

What arrived

The parcel contained one pair of shorts with a drawstring waist, a straight leg opening and an all-over 3D-printed pattern in the multicolor range the listing describes — blue, orange, red, yellow, navy, white and black appear across the variant images. The listing calls the fabric thin, non-stretch and polyester-based, with a stated 1–2 cm measurement tolerance and a size run from S to 5XL. Everything we could verify on the bench matched those claims. The weight in hand is closer to a light swim short than to anything structured, and the fabric holds a crease if you fold it hard, which is normal for a thin flat polyester.

Fabric and print under the light box

Under the light box the print reads as a continuous all-over motif rather than a patch or an appliqué, and the registration held across the seams on the pair we received. We checked the hem, side seams and waistband tunnel for skipped stitching and loose thread ends and found nothing that needed trimming. The fabric has no mechanical stretch in either direction, which is the single most important thing to know before ordering: a thin, non-stretch polyester short has no give at the seat or thigh, so the flat measurements decide the fit more than the letter on the care label does.

Our water test on a thin polyester short

Our standard bench routine uses 25 mL of liquid poured over a tilted sample over five seconds, with pass-through timed to the nearest second and weighing done on a 0.1 g scale, repeated three times with the median reported. On apparel we treat this as a water-shedding and drying indicator rather than an absorbency score, so we cut the test to a leg panel and recorded how the water left the surface.

Check	How we ran it	What we saw
Water shedding	25 mL poured over a tilted leg panel, five seconds, three repeats	Water beaded and ran off quickly; the median runoff cleared the panel within a few seconds, with only a small weight gain left behind on the scale
Surface drying	Panel left flat at room temperature, checked at intervals	Surface felt dry again well before a cotton short would; no dark water mark left in the print
Print durability	Rubbed the motif with a damp cloth after each pour	No transfer onto the cloth and no visible dulling on the tested panel
Hem and waistband	Visual check at each repeat	Stitching stayed flat; the drawstring tunnel showed no distortion after wetting and drying

None of this makes the fabric waterproof. It means a thin polyester like this gives up surface water fast, which is the behaviour you want at a beach or a pool and the reason the shorts dry on a line in a short time.

Two weeks in everyday use

Sofie kept the usual two-week log, adapted from our sheet routine to what a short actually meets: sun cream on the thigh, spilled drinks, a wet counter edge, food oil, crumbs, and repeated sitting on damp sand and a wet jetty. The shorts dried quickly after each wetting and the print survived oil contact with a normal cold wash. The one thing the log did not flatter is the lack of stretch — on a long walk the waistband stays put, but the seat and leg opening stay exactly where the cut puts them. If you are between sizes, that is where a straight, non-stretch short becomes unforgiving.

Sizing: what the brand-level evidence does and does not tell you

There is no independent buyer feedback for this exact listing, so the listing facts and the size range are the whole basis for a fit decision. Ralph Lauren does have documented fit profiles at brand level — buyer-shared guidance describes Classic-Fit as running roughly one size larger than typical domestic sizing, with Custom-Fit sitting closer to Asian body sizing and Slim-Fit narrower again. That guidance is about the brand, not about this pair, and this listing does not name a fit profile. The practical answer is to ask the seller which profile applies and to compare the flat waist and inseam figures against a short you already own, then allow for the stated 1–2 cm tolerance.

Brand-level quality signals worth weighing

We also read the brand-level review record, and it is mixed rather than reassuring. Reviews of the Ralph Lauren online store on Trustpilot skew heavily negative, at 1.6 out of 5 from 131 reviews, with recurring complaints about fabric quality and incorrect sizing; that is a complaint about the brand's own store, not a verdict on this listing. On the other side, a Reddit r/FashionReps review of an RL-branded polo found the material very similar to the genuine article and the detailing convincing, though that was a different garment entirely. Weigh both as context, not as proof. Our own pair arrived clean and printed correctly.

Value and who this suits

At 6.27 USD in stock, this is priced like a disposable beach short rather than a wardrobe anchor. What you get for that money is a light, fast-drying, straight-hem short in a genuinely wide size run, with a print that is part of the fabric rather than stitched on. What you do not get is stretch, weight, or any protection against a size-and-fabric assumption going wrong. Measure first, confirm the fit profile, and the price makes sense.

Our pair matched the listing on material, print and construction. The open question is fit, and on a non-stretch short that question is settled by a tape measure, not by the letter on the tag.