I picked up the Faherty Brand All Day Shorts from a Nordstrom sale over the winter to see how they stack up against the gold standard Outlier New Way Longs (our review). Now that it is finally shorts season, I’ve been able to wear them through some warm weather.

Material

Faherty updated the fabric here slightly for 2020 — my pair is 80% recycled polyester, 12% cotton, 8% elastane; the new blend is 75/17/8%. When I went to look at the tag to write this review, I was surprised there was any cotton at all as the fabric behaves like a 100% synthetic.

I find the material extremely breathable with just a slight stretch, the only caveat is that it has a slight technical sheen and swish. The heathering in the color helps hide the technical nature some (and I imagine the cotton helps as well), but the smoothness and drape of the fabric gives it away.

With the higher cotton content in the updated fabric, I’d expect the shorts to look slightly “more normal”. Faherty also claims “increased movement and breathability” with this change.

Performance

The performance of these shorts is excellent. They breath well and dry extremely quickly, something that is a requirement for versatile shorts. They also bead water well, a DWR is not specified but I suspect one was applied to the fabric.

Since these shorts are advertised for everyday and swimwear, there are some nice swim-ready features. The mesh bottoms of both of the side pockets and the (hidden) zippered back pocket help water drain out, and the internal drawstring allows you to tighten the waist without a belt.

Fit & Style

Faherty did a nice job with the cut of these shorts. I would say they have similar styling to the New Ways — tailored like a dress pant. This is what I look for now in a versatile short, and is why the New Ways are the standard. A functioning zipper fly is also a must and these check that box. The only shortcoming in the pair I have is the lack of belt loops, but they are now an option.

Looks-wise, the fabric gives away that these are technical, but I don’t think it takes away too much from the style. They also aren’t scarred with zippers and logos.

Another part of the update on these shorts is the availability of a 7” inseam (along with the 9” inseam on my pair). With inseam options and quite a few odd waist sizes, it shouldn’t be hard to get the perfect fit.

Overall

The All Day Shorts live up to their name and look good for everyday wear while performing for a hike or a swim. At $98, these are about 30% less expensive than the New Way Longs.

While they haven’t ousted the Outlier shorts from their top position, I think they are a worthy second, especially given their lower price point (and the much higher chance that you can find them on sale). These are going to get quite a bit of wear from me this summer.

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