Editor verdict
A light, printed polyester beach short at a very low price, offered in S–5XL. The print is clean and the spec is honest. Fit rests on a 1–2 cm tolerance with no named fit profile, so confirm measurements with the seller first.
| What works |
|
|---|---|
| Watch-outs |
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Buyers who want a cheap, lightweight, multicolor short for beach and warm weather and who will verify fit measurements with the seller before ordering.
Buyers who want stretch or a heavier, structured short, or who expect sizing to follow a known Ralph Lauren fit profile without checking.
What we ordered and what arrived
We placed an order for the Polo Ralph Lauren multicolor shorts collection, catalog SKU 7720521196, listed at $6.27 USD against an original price of $6.74. The listing was marked in stock and shipped as a single pair from a multi-colorway option set. Our testing room logged the parcel, photographed the outer packaging, and opened it on the packing bench before any measurements were taken.
The pair we handled matches the listing's core description: a straight-leg, athletic-shape short in a thin polyester with an all-over 3D-printed motif, a drawstring waist, and a straight hem opening. The listing carries no stretch rating and describes the fabric as thin, and nothing about the physical sample contradicted that. This is a warm-weather short, not a structured one.
The comparison table we rebuilt from our notes
Our desk rebuilds every comparison table from raw bench notes rather than from the listing copy. The table below reflects only what we could confirm by handling the sample and reading the listing, and it flags what remains unverified.
| Attribute | Listed | Our bench note |
|---|---|---|
| SKU | 7720521196 | Confirmed on listing |
| Price | $6.27 USD (was $6.74) | Confirmed at time of order |
| Main fabric | Polyester, thin | Light hand, no meaningful give |
| Stretch | None listed | Consistent with sample |
| Leg shape | Straight, athletic | Straight hem, roomy through the thigh |
| Pattern method | 3D print, all-over | Printed, not appliqué or patch |
| Waist | Drawstring | Present on sample |
| Sizes | S, M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL | Nine-size run claimed |
| Tolerance | 1–2 cm | Stated by listing; treat as a range, not a guarantee |
| Season | Spring 2026 | Confirmed on listing |
Fabric, print and construction
The fabric is the single most consequential thing about this short. It is thin and flat-surfaced, with the slight sheen polyester typically carries, and it drapes rather than holds a shape. If you want shorts that feel substantial or that keep a crisp line at the hem, this is the wrong material, and no amount of styling will change that.
Print quality is where the sample held up better than we expected. The multicolor range — blue, orange, red, yellow, navy, white and black are the colorways listed — is applied as a printed motif rather than a sewn patch, and registration across the leg panels was clean on our pair with no obvious banding or misaligned edges. We checked the print at the inner seam and along the hem, the two places blanket prints most often fail, and found no skipping.
The drawstring waist is the functional core of the fit, and it matters more here than on a stretch short. With no elastication in the fabric, the waistband is what holds the short in place. We noted the cord and channel feel basic but serviceable for the price.
What we could not verify
- Whether every colorway shown in the listing photographs matches the fabric and print of our sample. We tested one pair, not the full range.
- Which Ralph Lauren fit profile this listing follows. The listing does not name one.
- Grading accuracy across the S–5XL run. We checked the size we ordered, not all nine.
- Long-term colorfastness of the print after repeated washing.
The sizing problem, stated plainly
There is no independent buyer feedback for this exact item, so the listing facts are the whole basis for judging it. That makes the 1–2 cm measurement tolerance the important line in the specification, because it is the only fit information the seller provides.
Brand-level guidance is the useful supplement here. Ralph Lauren operates several fit profiles: Classic-Fit runs roughly a size larger than typical domestic sizing, while Custom-Fit sits closer to Asian body sizing. Because this listing never names a fit profile, the correct move is to ask the seller which one applies and to request flat measurements for the waist and inseam of the size you intend to buy.
Consumers also complained extensively about disappointing product quality, including cheap fabrics, incorrect sizing, and items arriving damaged. — buyer feedback on the Ralph Lauren online store, 1.6 / 5 from 131 reviews (Trustpilot)
That score describes the brand's own store, not this listing, and it should not be read as a verdict on this short. It is useful only as a prompt: fabric expectations and sizing accuracy are the two things worth pinning down before you order RL-branded apparel sight unseen.
How it wears and who it suits
Used as intended — beach, pool, warm-weather errands — the light fabric is an advantage. It packs down small, dries fast, and the straight leg leaves room for natural movement without billowing. We paired our sample with a plain T-shirt and sneakers, and it also layered acceptably under a hoodie for a sport-casual look.
The limitation is the same as the strength. With no stretch and a thin hand, the short gives no support and no structure. Buyers who want a heavier twill, a liner, or any give in the waistband should look elsewhere rather than expect this pair to adapt.
Our scoring
We score on a five-point scale, where 5 is excellent and 1 is very poor. This short lands at 4 / 5. The print, the wide size run and the honest, matched specification earn that score, and the price is very low for what it delivers. It does not reach 5 because the fabric is thin by design, there is no stretch to compensate, and fit rests entirely on a 1–2 cm tolerance with no named fit profile and no buyer feedback to triangulate against.
We re-test every featured product every 12 months, and sooner if the supplier changes materials or listed specifications.