Crooks and Castles Fairfax LA Shorts White

The Fairfax LA Lettering in Detail

The Crooks and Castles Fairfax LA shorts turn one corner of white fleece into a small piece of street lettering. Near the hem of one leg, a black old-English Crooks sits on top, then a large LA with the numbers 20 and 02 split on either side, then Fairfax in a thin script and Castles below with a curling flourish. The year points back to 2002, when Crooks and Castles started out, and Fairfax is the LA street that grew into a streetwear hub, where the label's co-founder was among the people who opened shops. It is a lot of history packed into one print near the hem, and none of it needs a second graphic to explain it. Read together, the four lines work like an address label for the brand. The white LA Fairfax sweat shorts keep the rest of the pair plain so that lettering does the talking.

Why Old-English Letters Work Here

Blackletter type has thick and thin strokes, so it stays crisp in a single color. Set on white, every curl and point of the Crooks and Castles words is easy to read.

Cotton-Rich Fleece for Hot Months

These are made from fleece of around 80% cotton and 20% polyester, at roughly 400 GSM. That gives them a soft, slightly thick handle that sits flat instead of clinging. They are a warm-weather piece first: summer afternoons, spring weekends and the hours after the gym. On a cool evening they still feel cozy, which is when a fleece short earns its place over a thin mesh one.

Waist, Hip and Leg Length

Resale listings for this design describe a regular fit with an inseam of roughly 8 inches, which puts the hem above the knee on most people. The waist is elastic, with white drawcords to tighten it.

Picking a Size From S to XXL

Start with your waist and hip measurements rather than your chest or your tee size. Check both against the waist and hip numbers on the size guide, and if the hip points to a bigger size than the waist, follow the hip and use the cords to take in the difference.

Old-English lettering on the shorts pairs naturally with the same style up top. The washed black gothic logo tee spells out the name in curved old-English letters in orange and gold, a warmer echo of the black print below.

For a darker mood, the skull Ruling Elite tee in black runs CROOKS and CASTLES down the chest in gothic type beside a skull, so the lettering ties the two pieces together.

If the 20 02 detail is what drew you in, the black bandana square print tee prints the same pair of numbers inside its chain ring.

A Second White Pair to Consider

Like the white base but want a face instead of words? The white fleece shorts with a black Medusa use the same idea, one black print low on one leg, with the brand's Medusa head in place of the lettering.

Wash on cold with other whites, inside out, to protect the print and keep the fleece bright. Hang them to dry instead of tumbling, because a dryer shrinks cotton fleece and slowly cracks black ink. A low iron on the reverse is fine; never iron straight over the letters.

What Is Printed on the Leg?

A black old-English Crooks, a large LA with 20 and 02 beside it, Fairfax in script and Castles underneath, placed near the hem of one leg.

How Long Are the Shorts?

Listings for this design give an inseam of roughly 8 inches, so they usually end above the knee.

What Color Are the Drawcords?

The drawcords are white, matching the fleece.