The shorts are sized large for sure. However, if you order a size down, the fit fine. I am a regular "medium" and got a "small" and they are fine. My only wish is that they were made of a heavier fabric. They are advertised as heavy but I would call them medium weight. Otherwise, they are exactly what I paid for.

I have several different colors of these Rothco shorts. They are NOT mil spec but who cares? They are rugged and look great, at least on me. I will definitely be getting one pair of each color.

Love it. Got the small and its still a little too large for a 29/30 inch waist. Is also too long but the wife can fix that. Otherwise perfect retro military style. Love it despite size issues. Bought two more.

Last summer, I ordered a pair of olive green cargo shorts which (after a looooong wait) arrived from China. I loved them, but they rapidly disintegrated (literally), and I've been trying to find a replacement ever since. After returning many pairs of shorts, I am happy to have found the ONES. These are well-constructed from a heavy fabric that gets super-soft right after the first wash. The pockets are large, numerous, and close securely. I do find them a bit large, and the drawstring is a bit too small to be useful, but they still fit pretty well and I'm happy with them.

Note that I'm an older, tallish, athletically-built (read: no hips to speak of) woman. It's possible I didn't get the size right and these do run true-to-size.

Note to the ladies: If you're on this page, I'd guess you're like me and are looking for longer, looser shorts with real pockets, and lots of 'em. You aren't going to turn any heads while wearing these, they aren't very flattering. At some point, though, you just want some goshdarn pockets, and shorts that let you have full range of motion without revealing too much. If all this is true, I think you'll like these. I'm about to order 2 or 3 more pairs.

I read the reviews prior to purchasing and realized these run large. I am 5'8, 160 lbs and typically wear a 32 waist. I purchased a small (27-31) and the fit is perfect. The inner button helps snug things up and with a light tug on the waist string - bam! Love these!!! It's the same fabric as the 60's through the early 70's material soldiers used to starch. Won't stretch like 100% cotton cargos that get looser through the day. These are simply the best cargo shorts I've found. They are really well made. Having served in the Army and worn similar material for years, these shorts will last thousands of wash and wears. BOMB!