Essentials Shorts

Sweat Shorts, Not Sports Shorts

Worth being clear about what these are, because the word shorts covers several different garments. These are heavyweight fleece sweat shorts: the bottom half of a tracksuit cut short, not lightweight training shorts and not swim shorts.

The practical consequence is that they are warmer and heavier than most shorts, which sounds like a drawback and is not. It means they work through a British summer that spends half its time being about fourteen degrees, and it means they hang properly instead of riding up. The same fleece as the hoodies, with the same small rubberised logo.

The Short Set

Searching for an Essentials short set rather than shorts alone is common, and there is something specific worth knowing: Essentials does not sell them boxed together. Every set you have seen was assembled by the wearer.

Which means it is entirely doable here, and easier than with most brands because the palette is so tight. Pair these with a tee from the t-shirt range in the same tone for the full co-ord, or go one shade apart for something that reads less uniform. Buying both halves in one order is also the only reliable way to get them matched, since neutrals shift slightly between production runs.

Black and Grey Lead, and Then It Opens Up

Black is the most searched Essentials shorts colour, with grey close behind. Both are the obvious first buys and both go with every top in the range, which is exactly why they sell.

The neutrals are where it gets more interesting on a second pair. Oatmeal, sand, buttercream and olive all appear across the range, and on shorts they read considerably better than they might sound. A pale short with a dark tee is a cleaner summer look than two dark pieces, and it is closer to how Essentials is styled on the brand's own channels.

Fit

Relaxed through the thigh, finishing around the knee or just above depending on your height, with an elasticated drawcord waist. Order your usual size.

These are more forgiving than the tops. The drawcord absorbs a fair range within each size, so if you sit between sizes on Essentials hoodies you can size either way here without much consequence. Sizing up adds length as well as width, so take the smaller if you want them sitting above the knee.

Care

Fleece shorts get worn hard and washed often, which makes cold washing matter more here than on pieces you wear less. Thirty degrees, inside out, gentle cycle, no softener.

Air dry rather than tumble. Heat shrinks fleece through the leg first and it lifts the rubberised logo at the edges, so the dryer costs you both the fit and the branding. Tie the drawcord loosely before washing so it does not disappear into the waistband, which is a small thing that is genuinely annoying to fix.