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Browse all Citizens of Humanity shorts →Marlow Vintage Short in Portrait
The verdict
Fit
Marlow shorts typically run true to size with a moderately tapered leg. Vintage washing may tighten slightly with wear and washing.
Quality
At this price, Citizens of Humanity delivers dependable denim. Distressing is well-executed and unlikely to unravel at stress points.
Is the price fair?
At $178, this is fair mid-tier pricing for quality denim with intentional styling. You're paying a moderate brand premium, but the construction justifies it.
Best for
Shoppers seeking a polished distressed look without extreme prewear, who value recognizable brand quality and a tapered, defined silhouette.
Care
Wash inside out in cool water; distressed areas require care during washing to prevent widening of existing tears.
Fit check: Citizens of Humanity
Runs largeCitizens of Humanity tends to run about half a size large and stretches with wear, so most owners size down for a fitted look.
A stylist's sizing guide reports the brand "generally run[s] about half a size large" and that owners "expect about an inch of stretch in the waistband after a few hours of wear," advising those between sizes to go down one. Hands-on reviewers back this up across cuts: one who ordered her chart size in the Horseshoe jean found it loose and repurchased a size down, and a shorts reviewer says the relaxed styles "run really big" and always sizes down. The caveat owners flag is line-level: relaxed and baggy cuts run largest, while high-rise styles fit closer to true size — and older forum threads on the skinny-era styles were more mixed.
Sizing advice: Size down one if you're between sizes or want a snug fit — especially in relaxed and baggy cuts, which stretch and loosen with wear; stay true to size only if you want the intentionally slouchy look.
Per owner & reviewer reports: Citizens of Humanity Sizing: Does It Run Big? Your Comple… · Citizens of Humanity Horseshoe Jeans Review (Jeans and a … · Citizens of Humanity Corey Relaxed Denim Shorts Review (T…
What owners report about Citizens of Humanity shorts
Reviewers report Citizens of Humanity's shorts wear well over time — one counted about 20 wears with the pair still holding up — and single out the washes as convincingly vintage-looking. Stretch styles get called lightweight, breathable, and comfortable for all-day wear, while a rigid organic-cotton style struck one reviewer as suspiciously soft and less structured than expected at the price. The most consistent finding is generous sizing: reviewers found the cuts run big and sized down. Complaints center on the relaxed, longer silhouettes reading baggy or unflattering on shorter frames, plus details like button flies and gaping side slits that don't suit everyone.
- Strengths
- Comfortable, well-washed denim that reviewers report holds up well through repeated wear.
- Watch out for
- Recurring complaints are oversized fits that need sizing down and relaxed, longer-inseam cuts that read baggy on petite frames — not construction failures.
- Sizing
- Reviews of multiple styles report the fit runs big — size down unless you want a deliberately loose, slouchy fit.
About Citizens of Humanity's shorts line as a whole. Sources: Citizens of Humanity Corey Relaxed Denim Shorts in Skylite Review - The Jeans Blog · Are they THAT easy tho? Citizens of Humanity Marlow Easy Shorts review - New Inspired
