Foreign Trade Red Shorts in Everyday Casual Style Review: A $4.93 Drawstring Summer Short

Ordering and first impressions

We ordered the red version of this Foreign Trade drawstring short, SKU 7717539167, through the linked agent listing. The price was 4.93 USD against a stated original of 5.82 USD, and the pair arrived in stock as listed. By Derek Kim, Reviews Editor.

First impressions match the catalog's "everyday pants" framing: this is a plain, lightweight summer short with no branding, no belt loops, and no hardware beyond the drawstring. The red is a flat solid tone rather than a washed or heathered finish, which makes the rest of the outfit the deciding factor.

Specifications as listed

Specification	Listed detail
Brand	Foreign Trade
SKU	7717539167
Price	4.93 USD (original price 5.82 USD)
Availability	In stock
Main fibre	Polyester, with spandex cloth named as the fabric
Construction	Thin, breathable, plain (solid) pattern, straight hem
Waist and closure	Mid-rise, drawstring closure, no belt
Cut	Straight leg, mid-thigh short length
Season and use	Summer, casual
Colors	Red, fluorescent green, beige grey, light purple, black, white
Sizes	M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL

Fabric and construction

The fabric is the single biggest reason to consider this short. A thin polyester with spandex woven in dries quickly, packs down to almost nothing, and stays cool in direct sun — exactly the job the listing assigns it. The trade-off is that thin summer fabric shows creases and reads as inexpensive up close, which is fair at this price.

Our inspection bench focused on the seams, the drawstring channel, the side-pocket openings, and the hem. Stitching was even enough for a basic short, the drawstring channel fed without snagging, and the hem sat flat rather than puckering. Nothing here suggests a garment built to last several seasons, but nothing suggests it will fail in one either.

The listing contains two internal contradictions worth flagging before you order. One specification line calls the material "high stretch", while a separate elasticity line describes it as slight. Our pair fell closer to slight: gentle give at the waistband, noticeably less across the leg. The catalog also labels the leg length as a mid-thigh short in one place and as a long-tube cut in another, so the actual inseam is unclear from the page alone.

Fit and sizing

Sizes run M to 4XL, and the silhouette is mid-rise with a straight leg — a forgiving shape that does not cling. Because the waist closes with a drawstring instead of a belt, fit depends almost entirely on the waistband measurement, which the listing never publishes. We would treat the size chart as a starting point rather than an answer.

No waist, hip, or inseam figures are published for this short, and the two length descriptions disagree. Request flat waistband and inseam measurements for your target size in writing before you commit.

Everyday styling in red

Red is the least forgiving of the six named colorways and the most useful if you wear it deliberately. A plain white or grey T-shirt with white sneakers keeps the short as the only loud element; a black tee pushes it more sporty. Layering a hoodie over the top works for the transition into evening, which is the use case the casual, youthful cut was designed around. Where the outfit tends to go wrong is adding a second strong color — a tone-matched accessory in the same red family works far better than a competing one.

What to verify before ordering

• Ask for flat waistband and inseam measurements in your size, since none are published.
• Confirm whether the fabric is high stretch or slight stretch; the listing says both.
• Confirm the woven blend ratio if fibre content matters to you, as percentages are not stated.
• Confirm the seventh colorway, since the catalog text says seven colors but names only six.

At under five dollars, this is a low-risk purchase for warm weather as long as you go in expecting a simple, thin, drawstring short rather than a tailored one. The value case is clear; the sizing case needs a message to the seller first.