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Details
- Price $175 at outlier.nyc
- Material 60% linen, 30% viscose, 10% polyester
- Fabric Weight 110 gsm
- Made in Italy
Overview
Having lived in Singapore for the past year, I forgot about the four seasons. The consistently atrociously scorching weather and laidback attitude towards fashion in Singapore encourage me to wear the same outfit all year round.
Having mostly worked from home in the last few years, I leave my home most often to head to the gym. My sleeveless top and shorts, both from Uniqlo, are also what I wear at home, to the library, or to the food center nearby, three of the places you’ll likely find me at any one time.
This makes me increasingly lazy with fashion. But as much as a homebody I am, if I am going beyond my neighborhood, I try to, at the minimum, “elevate” my outfit into a short-sleeved t-shirt, usually the Wool&Prince Crew Neck T-Shirt, and a less haggard pair of shorts, like the Outlier Futurebigs.
The Outlier F.Cloth Bigs is literally what I wear in every situation besides going to the club or bar where I will likely be refused entry. I have no complaints and will likely wear it forever if it can last that long.
However, when I saw that Outlier released the Linenfoil Littlebigs as an experiment, I was intrigued.
Experiments are Outlier’s way of being adventurous with their offerings, doing smaller, one-off runs, and in return, getting to play with fabric, style, and just going crazy.
Some experiments become wildly successful and become part of the regular collection, and some just fade into the archives. Most sizes of the Outlier Linenfoil Littlebigs are already sold out as I write this, so I have a feeling an encore is in order.
Shorter and in linen, I sense that it would make my man parts happier in the sweltering heat. Let’s find out if this is worth adding to our wardrobes.
Style
On a high level, the Linenfoil Littlebigs are cut shorter and looser than the Outlier F.Cloth Bigs. While both are casual shorts, the Littlebigs are more so although I don’t think there is any situation where you can wear one but not the other. I would say that the linen makes the shorts a little less versatile when compared to F.Cloth.
The material does give it more of a beach vibe that would make it preferred to go to the beach in, especially when matched with something like the Outlier Injex Camp Collar. At the same time, the crinkled linen looks a little avant-garde, something that you might find in Issey Miyake's design.
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I moved back to Japan amid this review, and I found myself wearing this to the nearby mall the most often. Sitting in it at Starbucks and furiously typing on my Magic Keyboard is how you would find me most afternoons.
The pants come with an air of nonchalance with the wrinkles of linen but at the same time, the black gives it substance. The colorway is black, but worn with the Outlier Ultrafine Merino T-Shirt, you can tell that it leans towards a charcoal color. For a pair of shorts perfect for the beach, its stature is very respectable.
I’ve lost a bunch of weight since my last Outlier review and my waist size is fluctuating around 32-34 inches. Given that it comes with an elastic band, I went for the medium. My large Outlier F.Cloth Bigs were a little too loose for me so I thought the medium was my best bet given that reference.
As expected, it was the perfect size. The length of the shorts was fitting for summer, about five inches above my knees.
Material
The linen used is a blend of 60% linen, 30% viscose, and 10% polyester. It’s very light at 110 gsm, which can be felt if you usually wear medium-weight shorts.
The synthetic blend gives it more durability but rumples up more and could look weathered. Some might find that creasing to be distracting, but the creasing looks very intentional, resulting in a tasteful texture.
The paracord drawstrings and 3Bar adjust let you tighten the waist without having to tie it each time.
The pockets are lined with power mesh, which are mesh which allows airflow, but dense enough to be opaque and durable for holding your pockets’ contents.
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Usage
I hadn’t expected it to be a huge difference from the Outlier F.Cloth Bigs that I wear all year round, but the linen and other details to increase airflow, do make a difference.
You, and your man parts, feel the breeze that comes much more, something not to be underestimated in humid weather. It feels so light that you sometimes feel like you are wearing a pair of aged boxer shorts. The airflow is aided by the generous leg holes, but short of a wide fit.
However, I don't expect it to be the most durable pair of shorts, especially compared to shorts using F.Cloth like the Outlier New Way Shorts. Even Outlier themselves list the durability as “experimental”. But if you are looking at this instead of Outlier's proven mainstay shorts, then you are probably okay with testing uncharted territories.
The 3Bar adjust needs some getting used to. I’ve been using it all this while and still haven’t gotten used to it. I always end up with the string being awkwardly longer on one end.
One thing I am thankful for is that you wouldn’t lose the drawstring into the waistband, arguably one of the most irritating things that can happen!
Conclusion
A breezy pair of shorts is perfect for the summer heat. There’s not much to say.
If you just want one pair of shorts, something more versatile like the Outlier New Way Shorts or Outlier F.Cloth Bigs might be better.
That said, the Outlier Linenfoil Littlebigs are perfect for tropical countries or for anyone sweaty bois out there, so get it while it’s still in stock.
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