Taylor Stitch vs Bonobos: which short wins?
Both land in the premium tier — the Taylor Stitch Trail Short at $88, the Bonobos Stretch Washed Chino Short at $89, just $1 apart. Here's how they stack up, head to head.
| Taylor Stitch | Bonobos | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $88 | $89 |
| Material | Mid-to-heavyweight organic cotton (twill, herringbone, or corduroy depending on the run) — durable and breathable but stiff at first, with little to no stretch in most fabrics. | Soft washed stretch cotton twill, 92% cotton / 8% spandex, mid-weight with a non-iron finish. |
| Fit | Relaxed straight cut with a mid rise and an 8-inch inseam; runs true but shrinks on first wash, so many size up. | Slim or standard cut with the signature curved waistband, true to size; choose among 5", 7", 9" and 11" inseams — the 9" is the safe default. |
| Quality | Strong — substantial cloth, clean reinforced seams and solid hardware that break in and hold up for years; the trade is rigidity and break-in time. | Solid premium — soft, comfortable and cleanly built, but the washed cloth is casual not crisp and the hem and back-pocket stitching wear first after repeated hot washes. |
| Best for | Guys who want one rugged, sustainably-made cotton short for travel, yardwork, and casual wear that lasts — not anyone chasing a slim, stretchy summer fit. | Smart-casual summer wear and anyone who fights waistband gap or seat sag in shorts and wants to pick their exact inseam. |
| Care | Wash cold and hang or tumble low to limit shrinkage; the cotton softens and fades gently with wear, so pre-wash before judging the fit. | Cold wash and tumble low or hang; the washed twill is non-iron, stays soft and resists wrinkling, and cold washing slows fading at the seams. |
At a $1 price difference, these two shorts are functionally identical in cost, so the choice is entirely about what the money is doing: Taylor Stitch charges for organic cotton construction and longevity, Bonobos charges for fit engineering and immediate wearability. One is a durable cotton work short built to outlast its price; the other is a smart-casual short built to fit bodies that standard shorts consistently fail. The gap is not a money question — it is a use-case question.
- The case for Taylor Stitch
- Taylor Stitch wins on material substance and longevity: the organic cotton twill is a genuinely heavyweight, reinforced cloth that softens and holds up for years, where the Bonobos washed twill will show seam and hem wear first after repeated washing.
- The case for Bonobos
- Bonobos wins on immediate comfort and fit precision: the 8% spandex delivers stretch that the Taylor Stitch's rigid cotton cannot match, the curved waistband solves the gap-and-sag problem structurally, and four inseam options mean buyers can match the cut to their actual proportions rather than accepting a single 8-inch length.
The bottom lineWhich should you buy?
Buy the Taylor Stitch if the priority is a rugged, sustainably-made cotton short that improves with wear and holds up to yardwork, travel, and rough use — and if a stiff break-in period and mandatory size-up for shrinkage are acceptable trade-offs. Buy the Bonobos if the problem being solved is fit — waistband gap, seat sag, or an inseam length that standard shorts never offer — because that fit engineering is the only thing justifying its price over a generic stretch chino short, and it delivers on that promise. At a $1 spread, the extra dollar buys nothing; the real decision is whether you need durability or fit, and neither short does both.
We may earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you.