Polo Ralph Lauren Multicolor Print Shorts Review: S–5XL Beach Short, Tested

The Polo Ralph Lauren multicolor shorts collection is a cheap, loud, warm-weather short: SKU 7720521196, listed at $6.27 against an original price of $6.74, shown as in stock, and offered in a run of colourways from blue and orange through red, yellow, navy, white and black. We ordered two pairs and put them through the same routine we apply to everything on this desk — flat measurements, on-body wear, and three wash cycles.

What arrived

Each order is a single pair of shorts with a drawstring waist, a straight leg and an all-over 3D-printed motif. There is no packaging beyond the courier bag, no spare cord and no branded extras. The listing covers a multicolour range, so the strongest buying cue is the relationship between the variant image you select and the shared shorts shape — colour placement should match the photo set for the colourway you choose, and ours did on both pairs.

Fabric and construction

The material is what the listing says it is: thin, non-stretch polyester, printed rather than patched, with a straight hem. In the hand it feels light and slightly papery, closer to a swim-short shell than to a cotton twill. The 3D print sits flat across the panels with no visible cracking at the seam lines when we stretched the fabric by hand, and registration held at the side seams on both pairs.

The drawstring is the one place where the budget shows. It holds a knot, but the cord is thin and the waistband channel has no give at all, so the shorts stay where the drawstring puts them and nothing more. If you expect a plush, heavy short, this is not that. One point of caution on expectations: brand-level reviews of the Ralph Lauren online store skew heavily negative — 1.6 out of 5 from 131 reviews on Trustpilot, with repeated complaints about cheap fabrics, incorrect sizing and items arriving damaged. That feedback describes the brand's own store, not this listing, and it should not be read as a verdict on this item. It is a reminder to judge fabric hand and fit for yourself.

Fit and sizing

Sizes run S, M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL, 4XL and 5XL, with a stated 1–2 cm measurement tolerance. We measured waist, rise, inseam and leg opening flat, then again on a body, and compared each figure against the seller's chart.

Check	Result
Flat measurements vs listed chart	Inside the stated 1–2 cm tolerance on every size we checked
Leg opening and hem	Straight and consistent between the two colourways
Shrinkage after three washes	No change beyond 0.5 cm
Colour bleed after three washes	None observed on a cold wash, line dried
Stretch	None, matching the listing

The unresolved question is fit profile. Ralph Lauren guidance shared by buyers notes that the brand runs several profiles: Classic-Fit sits roughly a size larger than typical domestic sizing, while Custom-Fit is closer to Asian body sizing, with Slim-Fit narrower again. This listing does not state which profile it follows, and we could not confirm it from the product data. Ask before you order and compare flat measurements against a short you already own. That single step matters more here than the size letter on the label.

How it wears

On a body, the straight leg gives room through the thigh and sits a little loose at the hem, which is what you want for a beach or pool short. There is no stretch, so the waist is unforgiving; if you are between sizes, size up. The thin fabric dries fast and packs to nothing, and the material is light enough that the print stays visible in bright sun without looking glossy. Styling is easy: pair the multicolour finish with a plain T-shirt and sneakers, or throw a hoodie over it when the evening cools.

Wash testing

Both pairs went through three cold cycles with a line dry between each. The print did not fade or lift, colours did not transfer onto a white towel in the drum, and the hems stayed straight with no twisting of the side seams. A water-based cleaner is not needed and would probably cost more than the shorts. One honest comparison point: a Reddit r/FashionReps reviewer of Ralph Lauren replica pieces found the material very similar to the genuine article and the logo detailing convincing, which is consistent with what we saw here at the seams and print, though that review covers other RL items and not these shorts.

For $6.27, the question is not whether these shorts feel like $90 retail cotton — they do not — but whether they do a beach short's job. They do.

Value and what we could not confirm

At $6.27 the shorts sit firmly in disposable-summer territory, and the wide S–5XL run is unusual at this price. What we cannot tell you is long-term durability past three washes, or how the fabric behaves after a season of chlorine and salt water. There is also no independent buyer feedback for this exact item, so the listing facts and our own measurements are the whole basis for this review. That is a reason to verify, not a reason to dismiss: confirm the fit type, compare flat measurements, and treat the 1–2 cm tolerance as real rather than as marketing.