Crooks and Castles Medusa Shorts White

A Black Medusa on White Fleece

The Crooks and Castles Medusa shorts carry the label's best-known face low on one leg, printed in solid black on a white fleece ground. Medusa has turned up in Crooks and Castles artwork for years, and on this pair she gets most of the thigh to herself. The head sits between a block CROOKS above it and a looping Castles script below, so the three parts read as one stacked badge rather than separate marks. Everything else stays bare: no side stripe, no second graphic, only white fleece and a drawcord at the waist. The flat photo of the white Medusa fleece shorts shows how much of the leg the print takes up.

Black Ink with Nowhere to Hide

Black on white is the hardest contrast a print can have, so the lines of the face and the hair stay readable from across a room. The pair in the photo still has its hang tag clipped to the waistband.

Sizing by Waist and Hip

Shorts are sized by the waist and the hip, never the chest, so take those two numbers first. The waistband is elastic with a drawcord threaded through it, which gives some give on either side of your usual size. Measure around your natural waist and around the widest part of your hip, then compare both with the waist and hip chart in our size guide before picking between S, M, L, XL and XXL.

Caught Between Two Sizes

Let the hip decide. If it points to the larger size, take that one and pull the cord tighter at the waist. A pair that is too small pulls across the seat, and white fabric shows every strain line.

The shorts are cut from fleece of around 80% cotton and 20% polyester, at roughly 400 GSM. That is a solid midweight: thick enough to keep a clean shape and hold a large print flat, still soft enough to lounge in. The cut is a regular fit with a straight leg, neither clingy nor baggy. Wear them from late spring through the end of summer, on warm evenings, at home or on the way to a workout.

A black top keeps the outfit tied to the print. The black hoodie with a gold Medusa head repeats the same face up top in tan and gold, so the two pieces match without looking like a uniform.

On hotter days, swap the hoodie for a tee. The black Medusa panel tee places a smaller black-and-white Medusa emblem between two white panels, which echoes the shorts in exactly the same two colors.

When the evening cools, a crewneck covers you without changing the theme. The tonal Medusa crewneck in black prints its head in gray on black, a quieter take on the same mark.

Prefer lettering to a face? The white Fairfax LA sweat shorts use the same white fleece with an old-English print instead, set low on the leg in the same spot.

Keeping the White Bright

Turn the shorts inside out and wash them cold with whites only, since one dark sock can tint the fleece gray. Skip the dryer and hang them to dry, because heat cracks a large black print and shrinks cotton. If you need to iron, work on the reverse at a low setting and never press the Medusa directly.

Where Is the Medusa Print Placed?

It sits low on one leg, with CROOKS above the head and a Castles script below it. The rest of the shorts is plain white.

Do the Shorts Have a Drawcord?

Yes. The elastic waistband has a drawcord, so you can tighten the fit at the waist.

How Should I Choose My Size?

Measure your waist and hip and match both to the size guide. If you fall between sizes, go by the hip and take the larger one.