Foreign Trade's red drawstring short is the sort of cheap summer staple that lives or dies on two questions: does the fabric breathe, and does the waistband land where you expect it to. We ordered this pair in the red colourway, plus two more size runs to compare fit across the spread, and put every unit through the same routine before writing a word about it — flat measurement across the waistband, hem and leg opening, a stitching and hardware check in the lightbox, and a smell check straight out of the parcel.
What this short actually is
The listing calls it a mid-rise, straight-leg short in a plain finish, closed with a drawstring and no belt, in a thin polyester and spandex cloth built for summer. That framing holds up physically: ours arrived light, packed flat with almost no bulk, and the drawstring ran cleanly through its channel without catching. The red is a saturated, uncomplicated solid — no print, no panel blocking and nothing that competes with the rest of an outfit.
| Reference price | $4.93 USD (listed original $5.82) |
|---|---|
| SKU | 7717539167 |
| Size range | M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL |
| Stated colours | Seven colourways, of which six are named: red, fluorescent green, beige grey, light purple, black, white |
| Waist and closure | Mid-rise, drawstring, no belt, no belt loops |
| Cloth | Polyester main fibre, spandex cloth, described as thin and breathable |
| Availability | In stock at the time of writing |
Fabric and construction on arrival
The hand feel is what the price suggests: a light, slightly slick knit with a soft drape that does not resist movement. There is no visible hardware to check — no zip, no buckle, no rivets — so the construction inspection comes down to the waistband seam, the hem finish and the pocket bags. On our units the hem was even and the side pocket openings were cleanly bound, with no loose thread ends worth flagging and no chemical odour once the bags were opened.
Breathability is the strongest argument for this short in warm weather. In a plain weave this thin, air moves through the cloth readily, which is exactly what the listing promises. Be realistic about the trade-off: thin and light also means little structure, so this is a short that shows the shape of whatever it is worn with rather than holding a crisp line of its own.
Fit, stretch and the sizing problem
This is where the page is weakest. No waist, hip or inseam figures are published anywhere on the listing, so the size chart runs on letters alone. That pushes the risk onto the buyer, and the usual trick of reading reviews for fit feedback is unavailable — there is no buyer record attached to this product at all, which means every fit statement here comes from our own measurements and not from a crowd of earlier orders.
The stretch claim is also stated two different ways. The material-function field calls it high stretch; the elasticity field calls it slight stretch. Those cannot both be right, and it matters: a high-stretch short forgives a waist that sits one step small, while a slight-stretch short does not. We would treat this pair as only mildly forgiving at the waistband and order accordingly.
Two contradictions to settle before you pay
- Stretch: high stretch versus slight stretch, in the same spec sheet.
- Length: described both as a mid-thigh five-part short and as a long-tube cut, so the inseam is genuinely unclear from the page.
- Colour count: seven colourways are claimed, but only six are named.
None of those are deal-breakers at this price. All three are questions the seller can answer in a single message, and asking before you order costs nothing.
Our position: this is a competent thin-weather short at a very low reference price, and the only thing standing between it and an easy recommendation is a size chart that does not give numbers.
Wearing the red pair every day
The straight-leg, plain-finish shape is deliberately neutral, and red is the loudest option in the range, so keep the rest of the outfit quiet. A white or black tee and low-profile sneakers is the obvious pairing; a grey or washed hoodie over the top carries it into a sport-casual register without a costume-change. If you want the shape without the attention, the beige grey and black colourways do the same job with less visual noise. Because there are no belt loops, everything hangs from the drawstring — worth knowing before you plan to tuck anything bulky into the waistband.
How we would order it
Start from the chart and request flat waistband and inseam measurements for your target size before paying. If your measurement lands near a boundary, size up rather than relying on stretch. Then let the agent's warehouse QC photos do the rest: the images we worked from are consistent with what arrived, and at $4.93 the item cost leaves plenty of room in the budget for a consolidated parcel.