The relaxed shorts
Released in May 2026
To develop these shorts, we drew on everything we learned from our other shorts model, particularly when it comes to colour retention. More info in this article.
We use organic cotton because so-called "conventional" cotton is a disaster for insects, birds and farmers (more info in this article) and a little elastane for comfort.
Composition: 98% organic cotton, 2% elastane.
Because it's really comfortable.
These shorts are made in Portugal, at the Cortextil factory we've been working with since 2025.
The techniques behind the quality
Compact yarn
This type of spinning aligns the cotton fibres neatly, which gives a soft feel and a fabric that doesn't pill. It also produces fine yarns, which are needed to weave this fabric.
Compact yarn
Dense fabric
Garment-dyed
Pre-washed
Dense fabric
Density of 250g/m2, a fairly high density for a lightweight fabric. To achieve a fine, dense material, you need fine yarns woven very tightly.
Compact yarn
Dense fabric
Garment-dyed
Pre-washed
Garment-dyed
The dyeing is done after the shorts have been made, to give a less smooth look and a more attractive worn-in effect over time. Click here to find out more.
Compact yarn
Dense fabric
Garment-dyed
Pre-washed
Pre-washed
These shorts are stabilised and pre-washed at the factory, so they won't shrink at home (with cotton clothing, most of the shrinkage happens during the first wash).
Compact yarn
Dense fabric
Garment-dyed
Pre-washed
Easy to wear
A comfortable pair of shorts, thanks to the elastic waistband and a cut that leaves plenty of room for your thighs. What makes them special: these shorts are dyed after they're made. This “garment-dyed” technique lets the colour fade beautifully with sun exposure, washes, and afternoons at the beach.
In detail
Comfortable fit
A little roomier than our classic shorts, but not too baggy.
Colour that ages beautifully
On a cotton pair of shorts, it's almost impossible to get colours that don't shift under UV, chlorine or sweat. So we went with a dye that fades nicely over washes and time in the sun.
Rear welt pocket
You can put whatever you like in there.
Drawstring
Hidden inside, to hold the shorts snugly at your waist.
How to wear it
A few ideas if you're stuck
Composition
98% cotton, 2% elastane
Origin and certifications
... make them in Portugal rather than in France?
Of course, producing in Portugal lets us sell for less. But it's also easier to achieve good quality there: in the 80s, when France offshored its industry, Portugal strengthened its own. That said, others manage to make shorts with an elasticated waistband made in France, like Ecclo
How this product will age
How do we know? We ask our customers what they think of the product one year after they've bought it. And if the product is less than a year old, we give you our predictions based on some spontaneous feedback and on our experience with similar products.
The fabric of these shorts is sturdy enough to last quite a few years.
But let's be honest: the colour of these shorts is going to shift. Washing, and above all UV rays, salt, chlorine and sweat are tough on dyes applied to cotton. There's no way to get an unchanging colour without resorting to polyester or toxic chemicals. So we went for a rather light colour range and a so-called "garment-dyed" finish that gives them a vintage look and will develop a lovely patina with sun exposure, countless washes and afternoons at the beach…
To go further: we've written a whole article on how we improved the colour hold of these shorts (link here).
Care instructions
To avoid unsightly streaks, wash inside out (at 30°C), in a machine that isn't too full and on a gentle spin (600 rpm max).
Chlorine and salt are very harsh on the fabric: we'd suggest taking these shorts off before yelling "cannonbaaaall" and leaping into the pool.
Environmental cost
This environmental cost is calculated using the official methodology of the French environmental labelling scheme (in force since 1 October 2025).
L'étiquette ci-dessus montre le coût environnemental du produit selon la méthodologie officielle de l’affichage environnemental français. C’est ce que sa fabrication “coûte” à la nature quand on regarde son impact sur le changement climatique, l’acidification des océans, sa toxicité pour l’eau douce, etc. Aujourd'hui déployée dans le secteur textile, cette étiquette devrait bientôt figurer sur de nombreux produits de consommation de votre quotidien (alimentation, cosmétiques, ameublement...) pour vous aider à acheter de manière plus éco-responsable.
Le short relax a donc un coût environnemental de 739 points d'impact*.
Par comparaison, un vêtement de poids équivalent, 100% coton conventionnel, fabriqué au Bangladesh et vendu par une marque de fast fashion, a un coût environnemental de 3208 points*.
Pourquoi cette différence ? Voici les principales raisons :
- Les pays de production : fabriquer au Portugal ou en France nécessite moins d’énergies fossiles qu’au Bangladesh (un des principaux pays producteurs de vêtements low cost). Résultat : cette fabrication plus locale limite les impacts sur le changement climatique, l’acidification des océans ou l’épuisement des ressources.
- La matière : le coton bio a un impact environnemental assez faible comparé à la matière coton conventionnel, notamment car il utilise peu de pesticides (donc faible toxicité pour l’eau douce) et qu’il est biodégradable (donc moins de problématiques de micro-fibres ou de déchets en fin de vie).
- La durabilité : les enseignes de fast fashion incitent à l’achat notamment en renouvelant très rapidement leurs collections et en proposant de très nombreuses références, et elles découragent de réparer en pratiquant des prix dérisoires. Cela augmente donc le nombre de vêtements vendus par personne et diminue le nombre de fois où un vêtement est porté. À l’inverse, chez Loom, nous avons choisi d’avoir des pratiques commerciales qui encouragent nos clients et clientes à garder leurs vêtements le plus longtemps possible.
Même si on a tout fait pour qu’il soit le plus faible possible, l’impact environnemental de ce produit n’est pas négligeable. Donc avant d’acheter, faites durer vos vêtements le plus longtemps possible.
*Calculs effectués par Loom le 05/10/2026. Cliquez sur les liens pour accéder aux simulations de l'outil officiel Ecobalyse et avoir plus de détails sur les hypothèses retenues. Attention : le nombre de points n'est pas toujours exactement le même sur Ecobalyse (dont la méthode évolue régulièrement) que sur l'affichage environnemental officiel (basé sur la version 7.0 d'Ecobalyse)
Reviews for this product
The standard practice is to send review request e-mails a few days after the purchase. We wait a month, the minimum time needed to form a well-informed opinion
Customer review policy
When do you ask customers for reviews?
We send you a review request one month after you receive your order. We reckon that's the minimum amount of time needed to have worn and washed a garment several times and to really form a well-informed opinion. After that, all your reviews are published within the week, whether they're good or not.
Do you ask for reviews on 100% of the products customers order?
We used to do that at first, then we realised we were starting to send far too many emails to some people who buy from us regularly. In short, we were spamming a bit. On top of that, it was starting to take up way too much of the team's time to reply to reviews - since we want to reply individually and privately to almost every person who leaves us a review. Today, we no longer ask for reviews on products that meet the following two criteria: 1/ There are enough reviews shown on the site for people who want to buy to form a well-informed opinion about the product 2/ We've read enough reviews within the Loom team to understand how to improve the product for the next generation.
Hold your horses: what proves we don't tamper with reviews by slapping 5 stars everywhere?
Honestly: nothing, we're just giving you our word. Same as for everything else, by the way: where we manufacture, where our wool comes from, our lab test scores, and so on. The only times we might touch what you write are if your message contains spelling mistakes (and even then, quite a few slip past us) or if it's racist, homophobic, and so on (but that's never happened so far).
Asking for a review after a month isn't enough to know whether the clothes really are durable, is it?
You're right, which is why we send you another review request email a year after your purchase – we even ask for a photo to see how your garment has aged. The answers help us improve our clothes and provide information about "how this product will age" on our product pages. To avoid bothering our customers needlessly, we don't ask for these reviews on 100% of the products ordered: as soon as we have enough data to understand the areas for improvement, we stop asking for the one-year reviews.