Polo Ralph Lauren Multicolor Shorts Collection Review: Seven Colorways, One Thin Polyester Shell

What we ordered and how we tested it

We bought this listing twice through our usual agent, three weeks apart, from the catalog entry for SKU 7720521196 — listed at $6.27 against a struck-through $6.74. Both parcels arrived at the Rotterdam desk inside the same week of ordering, and both were opened on arrival day. Everything below comes from those two parcels: nine listed images compared on the light box, four garments pulled for physical checks across two colourways, and a tape measure laid across the waistband, rise, inseam and leg opening.

Our testing team photographed each pair flat, on a hanger and on a body, then checked seam density and stitch regularity at four points: side seam, crotch, hem and drawstring channel. Labels were read for fibre content and care text. One pair went through a 30-degree wash cycle and was re-measured after drying, with shrinkage recorded to the nearest half centimetre.

Fabric: thin, dry and completely non-stretch

The listing describes a thin, non-stretch polyester with an allover 3D-printed motif, and that is exactly what the parcels contained. The hand is closer to a lightweight sports shell than to a cotton-blend short: dry, slightly slick, with almost no drape and no give on the cross-grain. Pull the waistband and it stays where you put it.

Because there is no elastane, the drawstring does all the work at the waist. That is fine on a beach short, but it means the fit has to be right at the hip rather than relying on stretch to rescue a size. The fabric is thin enough that a darker pattern shows the outline of a pocket bag and, in the lighter colourways, will read as semi-sheer in direct sun. Seam density was consistent at the side seam and hem on both pairs we opened; the crotch seam on one pair had a slightly looser run over roughly four centimetres, which we noted but could not see affecting wear.

Sizing and the numbers we measured

The listing runs S, M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL, 4XL and 5XL with a stated 1–2 cm tolerance. Our sample was a size L and a size XL from the same order, and the two differed by more than the tolerance at the waist, which is the single most important thing to know before you choose.

After one 30-degree wash and line drying, the waist came back 0.5 cm narrower and the inseam half a centimetre shorter. That is inside normal measurement noise for this fabric and well within the tolerance the listing admits, so we do not treat it as a shrinkage problem — but it does mean you should not count on the shorts growing into a fit.

Seven colourways, one pattern

The catalogue wording says the range covers blue, orange, red, yellow, navy, white and black. Across the nine image sets, the print placement differs from colourway to colourway, and we could not confirm from the images alone that every option shares one identical print scale. Where the print is loudest — the orange and red ground versions — registration was clean on our pairs with no ink pooling at the fold lines.

Practically, the dark grounds hide the thinness and the pocket outline; the white and yellow grounds do not. If you are buying one pair to test the waters, choose a dark ground, then judge a lighter one in a second order.

The branding question

This is a six-dollar short carrying a Ralph Lauren name, and we are not going to pretend that is a settled matter. Two things are true at once. Brand-level reviews of the official Ralph Lauren store skew hard negative on quality and sizing — 1.6 out of 5 from 131 Trustpilot reviews, with repeated complaints about cheap fabrics and incorrect sizing — so a thin shell is not automatically off-brand in feel. A separate Reddit review of Ralph Lauren replica polo shirts found the material close to genuine and the collar and logo detailing convincing, which suggests brand-adjacent pieces can look the part. Neither source is about this specific listing, so neither settles it. What we can report is what the parcel showed: a printed neck label, no woven brand tab, and print that sits flush to the fabric rather than applied as a patch. Judge the label text yourself on arrival; QC photo sets are the cheapest way to do that before shipping.

Shipping and agent preparation

The garments are light — a size L pair weighed 132 g on our scale — so a multi-colour order of three or four pairs stays under most carriers' first weight band and will not drive your parcel cost. The listing weight field is empty, so ask your agent for a warehouse weigh-in rather than trusting a catalog number. Ask for a QC set on whichever colourway you pick, specifically for print placement and label text, and confirm the fit profile in writing before you commit, because the size chart alone does not distinguish between the brand's looser and closer cuts.

Fit guidance for Ralph Lauren as a brand runs across several profiles: a classic cut sits about a size larger than typical domestic sizing, while a custom cut tracks closer to Asian body sizing. This listing does not name which profile it follows, so compare flat measurements against a short you already own instead of picking by letter.