Agolde Shorts Look A-Likes for Less!
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Spring is here, but warmer weather is approaching, so my Agolde Parker Cut Off Shorts are at the top of my denim drawer these days. My Agoldes are pretty much my ride or die pair of shorts for the past several years. I love the fit, feel, and style… pretty much everything but the price tag is my favorite! I’ve actually discussed Agolde jeans and how they fit, plus why I feel their price is justified here, so take a refresher if you need to.
One of my most asked questions over the past several years is if there is a cheaper option of shorts that are similar to Agolde shorts in look or feel. I totally get it! They aren’t so budget friendly; however, until now I really didn’t have any good answers to share with you. I do think Agoldes live up to their price (which I mentioned here), but I don’t buy them because of the “brand name” or “price tag”. I buy them because I love the product.
Last summer I did a comparison between Levi’s and Agolde jeans. Levi’s is a cheaper option, but I wouldn’t necessarily call them budget friendly. I know budget means something different to everyone, but to me it is usually under $50. You can read the whole review here / look at side-by-side comparisons, but basically I found a pair of denim pants that I was happy with. It wasn’t as soft or comfortable as Agolde jeans, but it did have the look and was almost $100 cheaper. I was disappointed with the shorts and didn’t deem one “dupe” worthy. Back to the drawing board!
Earlier this year, my friend Lauren Kay Sims shared these shorts and said they were like Agoldes, but less. That piqued my interested and I clicked on the link. What makes Agolde jeans Agolde jeans is that they are 100% cotton. Their fiber content is what most contributes to the overall vibe we know and love. When searching for similar short options, I first look at their fabrication. To my surprise, these $15 shorts were 100% cotton. Game over, I had to try them out for you!
Most of the shorts and jeans on the market today have some form of stretch or spandex. This is what we have come to expect - we like our stretchy pants! Additionally, cotton is a natural fiber and more expensive at that. Synthetic fibers like those that give us stretch (spandex, lycra, etc), are man-made and thus cheaper to produce, lessening the overall cost of goods, which usually translates to a lower retail price for you and me as consumers. To see these 100% cotton shorts sell for $15, I knew I had to do some digging. Keep reading for my thoughts!
Wild Fable shorts in black, medium blue, and light wash
These Wild Fable shorts currently come in 7 colors and are offered in both women’s sizing 00-16 and plus sizing 14W - 26W. When I ordered them they only came in several basic colors and let me tell you… they sell out FAST. I was able to snag sizes 4 and 6 in black, light wash, and medium blue before they ran out though. Here’s how they compare to Agoldes,
Wild Fable Shorts | Agolde Parker Shorts | Agolde Parker Shorts stacked on top of Wild Fable Shorts
Wild Fable vs. Agolde:
Wild Fable shorts are made of a thinner fabric. Agolde shorts are thicker. Overtime this may cause the WF shorts to not last as long as the Agolde shorts, but that is just speculation from me. On this note, the WF shorts aren’t as soft a Agolde shorts are. I think it is in the way that Agolde washes their denim, which creates a more worn-in feel.
Wild Fable shorts aren’t exactly like the Parker shorts cut. I think they fit similarly, but the actual silhouette is different. Agolde’s popular Parker shorts traditionally come in a mid-rise shorter length, though they just added a mid-rise Parker with longer length. They also have their Dee shorts which are high-rise coupled with a longer length. WF’s shorts are high rise like the Agolde Dee shorts, but the length is in-between the regular Parker length and the new longer length ones.
Wild Fable has more fashion and trendy colors. In comparison, Agolde, has more tried and true, basic colors. As mentioned, I ordered them in black, light wash, and medium blue, but they also have tie dye, purple, and more offerings. WF also has a more trendy silhouette in comparison to the Agolde shorts. I did not like the medium blue wash in color or in style. The light wash was my favorite for a true blue jean look, but overall I prefer the washes Agolde carries. The Wild Fable black shorts are more of a true black, whereas Agolde black is more faded and washed. I like a good true black; however, unsure if these will fade over time. Both classic black and faded black have their place in my closet, so I don’t necessarily prefer one over the other.
Wild Fable produces their shorts in Bangladesh. To be clear, the blue shorts I ordered were made in Bangladesh, but the black pair was made in Vietnam. When I saw the Made in Bangladesh tag, it became clear to me why the price tag was so low. Bangladesh factories are notorious for overworking their employees, paying them next to nothing, and using child laborers. If you want to look into this more, start with what happened at Rana Plaza and go from there. I don’t say this to make you feel bad if you can only afford clothes that are made in Bangladesh - just informing you so you can be aware and check tags. The more you know!! It is also fair to say that bad things happen to workers and such outside of Bangladesh too. Unfortunately it is not unique to that country. In comparison, Agolde is based in LA and does have some collections made in the USA, but are also made in other parts of the world, just not in Bangladesh to my knowledge. They also try to put in sustainable and ethical efforts where they can.
Wild Fable shorts in black (the only pair I kept)
OVERALL THOUGHTS ON WILD FABLE SHORTS:
I ended up keeping the black shorts and returning both pairs of denim shorts. I wanted to like the denim shorts, but I didn’t need the light wash and I did not like the design of the medium blue shorts. The medium blue shorts had almost identical chunks cut out in the same place on each thigh. They were somewhat square cut, so it didn’t seem natural or worn at all. I also of course didn’t like that the blue versions were made in Bangladesh. I would have considered keeping the darker blue wash had it not been made in said country and had I like the design of them. In their defense, when you sell a pair of shorts for $15, it is easier to make the same marks / washes on each pair, versus making them seem more natural and nuanced. In this case you get what you pay for!
Regarding wear I think they fit very similarly to Agolde sizing, which I address here in this post about how Agolde Jeans fit. For reference, I wear a size 26 in Agolde shorts and a 27 in Agolde jeans. I ordered a size 4 and 6 to try out, because historically I have to size up in mass produced garments. To my surprise, I actually preferred the size 4, which aligns with my size 26 Agolde size. There are some comments complaining about the fit, but in my opinion I think the people with negative reviews expected them to fit like a pair of stretchy jean shorts… which they aren’t! These have little-to-no stretch, though they will loosen a little bit between washes and wears. Once you wash them again, they will be a little bit tighter again. They are also a button front design, not a zipper, which is a little less forgiving.
Overall, I DO think these shorts are a great option if you’re looking for Agolde short look a-likes for less! You really can’t be $15 compared to $128! For me personally, I still find value in Agolde shorts, but these are the closest I have come to finding a comparable pair. After all, I did keep a pair! Again, I prefer the black shorts to the denim shorts, but I did find another denim short that is similar to Agolde and better than the WF blue jean shorts. The price is $68 instead of $15, but hey $68 is still less than $128! I like these Makai shorts better than than 501 shorts, plus they are $1.50 cheaper than the Levi’s at that;)
Want more? I covered all of the above, plus am giving you an up close and personal look of the shorts / comparing the too. Watch now on my YouTube Channel!
I’ll be on the lookout for any other similar options that will save you a buck or two. Do you have any that you love that I don’t know about? Short season is here and I’m ready to partake!
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