Striped Shorts in Cotton with Pleats and Elastic Back, Black or Beige

Striped shorts in pure cotton, tailored in front and easy at the back

These striped shorts from Awama look like tailored shorts from the front: a wide flat waistband, a pleat on each leg, a high rise. Turn around and the waist is elastic. You get the neat front without a waistband that digs in after lunch.

The fabric is 100% cotton and the maker calls it lightweight. Length runs from 43 cm in S to 46 cm in XL. Choose a black stripe or a beige stripe, both on white.

At a glance

The piece: models 212202 and 212203 by Awama

Awama makes these shorts in two colourways and gives each its own model number: 212202 for black and 212203 for beige. The descriptions are the same in substance. Light fabric, a wide front waistband, an elastic back, a decorative pleat and pockets.

In two of the photos the model wears a loose striped shirt in the same fabric. The maker suggests the pair as a summer set, and it does look good. The shirt is a separate product and is not part of this page.

Who it's for

For you if you want shorts you can wear to more than the beach. The pleats and the flat front make them look considered, and the elastic keeps them comfortable through a long warm day.

The legs are wide. If you like shorts that hug the thigh, these are not those. If you like air around your legs, read on.

Closer look: maker's data and photos

• Lightweight fabric, 100% cotton (maker's data)
• Wide waistband in front, elastic band at the back (maker's data, photos)
• Decorative pleat on the front of each leg (maker's data, photos)
• Pockets (maker's data); side pockets you can put a hand in (photos)
• High waist and wide legs to mid-thigh on the model (photos)
• Vertical stripes on a white ground (photos)

The front band looks as if it has a concealed closure in the middle. The maker does not mention a zip or a button, so we leave that open.

Fabric and feel: light cotton, shirt-like

The composition is 100% cotton. The maker describes the fabric as lightweight and says it gives freedom of movement. In the photos it behaves like shirting: crisp at the pleats, a little rumpled where the elastic gathers it.

Cotton with no stretch fibre keeps its shape through the day and will crease when you sit. That comes with the fabric. On a striped short it tends to look relaxed and not untidy.

Fit and silhouette: high waist, wide leg

The waist stretches. Size M covers 70 to 76 cm, and each size overlaps the next by a couple of centimetres, so the hips are the better guide: 98 cm in S, 102 cm in M, 106 cm in L and 110 cm in XL.

Those hip numbers are generous, which fits the roomy look in the photos. Length is 43 to 46 cm from waist to hem. On the model the shorts end at mid-thigh. If you are between sizes and like the pleats to lie flat, go with the larger one.

Size chart (cm)

Source: the maker's size table, the same for both colours. The waist range is the elastic at rest and stretched.

Styling: tuck something plain in

The photos show a white T-shirt tucked in and beige loafers. It is hard to improve on that for a warm day in town.

For the evening I would swap the T-shirt for a black fitted top and add flat sandals. The beige stripe is soft enough to wear with other pale colours, like a cream cardigan over the shoulders. The black stripe is sharper and can take a red lip or a bright bag.

Occasions

The maker has summer days and casual outfits in mind. We would add: a city trip, a terrace lunch, a holiday dinner, and the office on a hot Friday if yours allows shorts. They pack flat and weigh little, so they earn their place in a suitcase.

Care: follow the label

The maker's data has no care instructions, so follow the label sewn into the shorts. A tip that suits pleated cotton in general: shake the shorts out and hang them by the waistband while damp, and the pleats will need less pressing.

The wow detail: two waistbands in one

From the front you see a flat, wide band and sharp pleats. From the back you see soft gathers on elastic. Most shorts choose one or the other. This pair puts the neat half where people look and the comfortable half where you feel it, and with a top tucked in nobody sees the join.

Fashion that gives back

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. The causes are matched to 11 of the 17 SDGs, the global goals set by the United Nations, and you decide where your share goes.

Our promise

Ships from the maker's wholesale partner in Poland, inside the EU, with tracking. The wholesaler lists up to 3 days to prepare an order; within the EU delivery usually takes 2–7 business days after dispatch. Delivery is free within the EU on orders from €69; below that it costs €4.95 in the Netherlands and €6.95 elsewhere in the EU.

You have 14 days after delivery to ask for a return, as long as the shorts are unworn and still have their tags. Our promise is plain: if what arrives does not match what this page says, send it back within 14 days and we refund you.

More summer shorts are in our shorts collection.