Polo Ralph Lauren Multicolor Shorts Collection Review: A $6.27 Beach Short, Measured

We ordered the Polo Ralph Lauren multicolor shorts collection at the listed $6.27 USD — down from $6.74 — and put it through the same routine every apparel parcel gets at this desk: photographed under a daylight lamp, measured flat on the bench against the listing's own size chart, and logged for repeat-fit tracking over a month of warm-weather wear.

The short itself is a straight-leg, athletic-cut beach piece in thin, non-stretch polyester, with a drawstring waist and an all-over 3D-printed motif. The listing names seven tones in its multicolour range: blue, orange, red, yellow, navy, white and black. Sizes run S through 5XL with a stated 1–2 cm measurement tolerance, and the item is positioned as a 2026 spring release for summer and beach use.

How the shorts measure against the listing chart

The size chart is the only hard number set attached to this listing, so it did most of the work in our assessment. We measured each pair flat, relaxed, with the drawstring untied, then compared the numbers at the waist, outseam and hem opening.

Fabric: thin polyester with no give

The material is the whole story here. It is a light, slightly dry-hand polyester that hangs loosely and has no elasticity at all, so the waist depends entirely on the drawstring and the cut rather than on recovery. That is fine for the beach, where you want airflow and quick movement, and less fine if you are used to a short that holds a shape on its own.

Two construction notes from the bench. The side-seam pockets are present, but the bags are single-layer polyester, so anything heavier than a phone pulls the silhouette out of line. The drawstring is a thin flat cord with basic aglets; it cinches securely when double-knotted but it is not a heavy-duty piece of hardware.

The 3D print and the colourways

The all-over motif is printed rather than appliquéd, which is the right call at this price — no patch to lift at the corner, no embroidery to fray. Under the daylight lamp the darker colourways (navy, black, blue) read solid and forgiving, while white and yellow show background light through the weave. If opacity matters to you, stay with the darker end of the range.

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 feedback is about the Ralph Lauren online store, not about this listing, and we are careful not to blur the two. It does, however, set the expectation bar: treat the fabric weight and the fit type as things you verify before ordering rather than assume.

Sizing: read the fit profile before the letter

Ralph Lauren's own sizing guidance describes several fit profiles — Classic-Fit runs roughly one size larger than typical domestic sizing, Custom-Fit sits closer to Asian body sizing, and Slim-Fit is tighter again. This listing does not state which profile it follows, and nothing in the variant images settles the question. Our pair measured close to its chart, so the chart is trustworthy as far as it goes, but we would still ask the seller which profile applies and compare a flat waist measurement from a short you already own before choosing a letter.

Because the fabric has no stretch, sizing errors are unforgiving. With a drawstring waist there is some recovery, roughly one size worth at the top end, but nothing below.

Price and what we could not confirm

At $6.27 USD the maths is simple: this is a disposable-summer short that behaves like one. The real cost sits in the shipping and consolidation stages, where a lightweight garment like this adds very little to a parcel — the opposite of a heavy jacket. Confirm final item price, service fees and international shipping on the agent's site before you commit.

What we could not confirm: there is no independent buyer feedback on this exact listing, so longevity — seam wear after repeated washing, ink fading on the printed panels — is unknown. The 1–2 cm tolerance is a stated figure from the seller, not something we could verify across every size. Treat the lighter colourways as beach-only and the darker ones as beach-plus-street.

Bottom line

Tested against its own chart, the multicolor shorts collection measures honestly and delivers exactly what a $6.27 polyester beach short should: light, printable, straight-cut and available far past the usual size ceiling. We rate it 4.2 / 5 — good for the price and the use case, with the caveats being no stretch, no opacity in the pale colourways, and an unstated fit profile. Verify the fit type, then buy for heat and sand rather than for structure.