3Sixteen Drawstring Short

Almost all shorts are made cheaply, on the reasonable theory that nobody looks closely at a garment worn for three months of the year. This is the counter-argument. The cloth is a cotton twill woven in Japan, which is not what anyone expects to find on a drawstring short, and it gives the garment a weight and a drape that the elastic waistband would otherwise undercut.

The cut is relaxed and the waist is elastic with a drawstring through it, which means there is no fly hardware, no belt, and nothing to fit. That is the whole proposition. It is the garment you reach for without thinking in July, made as though someone expected you to keep it for a decade.

Why we selected it

Summer in Santa Fe is long and hot and the store needed something in it that was not a compromise. We took this one because the fabric is serious and the garment is not, which is a difficult balance and rarer than it should be.

3Sixteen’s warm-weather pieces use the same fabrics as its outerwear, which is why they last longer than shorts usually do.

Materials and construction

One hundred percent cotton twill woven in Japan, made in India. Relaxed cut, elasticated drawstring waist. Colour: olive twill.

Fit notes

Relaxed through the seat and thigh with a straight leg. The elastic waist and drawstring absorb a fair amount of size variation, so this is a forgiving garment to buy: take your usual size and adjust the cord. Cotton twill of this weight holds its shape rather than clinging in heat, which is the practical reason to choose it over jersey.

Styling

With the Pima tee and a sandal or a canvas shoe, which is the entire summer. Under the Club Collar Shirt worn open for something less plain. Olive sits comfortably with white, black, and indigo, and badly with almost nothing.

Care

Machine wash cool and hang to dry. The drawstring will outlast the elastic, so wash gently and avoid a hot dryer, which is what perishes a waistband. Our fabric care guidance covers the rest.

Related pieces

For full-length trousers in the same register, the Cargo Pant and the Service Pant. It is worn with the Pima Cotton T-Shirt Pack nine days in ten, and with the Knit Polo on the tenth. Everything we currently hold from 3Sixteen is listed together.