Here’s A Subscriber-Exclusive Version Of My Favorite Nylon Shorts

I teamed up with Manresa on a limited-edition run of their Made in USA Ravine shorts.

By now, my love of Manresa’s Ravine shorts has been well documented in this newsletter. Last year, I dedicated a whole post to them (they were called the “River” shorts back then), where I declared them my favorite shorts of 2024. Then, last month, I wrote about how the label had on-shored all of its production to North America, and in turn made these shorts even better by using higher quality materials, better construction, and all while sewing every pair at their headquarters in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

I guess it’s no surprise then that when I gave subscribers early access to the new Manresa collection last month, these shorts were the runaway favorite item people bought. In turn, that got me and Manresa founder Mike McLachlan thinking about how we could give people who were kind enough to a) sign up for a paid subscription on this website and b) buy a pair of shorts something even more special, which led to the limited-edition Ravine shorts you see here.

At first we were just calling the color “silver,” but the quick-thinking Mike came up with the name “Woolf Gray” on our livestream earlier this week, so that’s now the official name. They’re a light, ever-versatile shade of gray that has lovely cool undertones, making them the perfect pair for everything from a chambray shirt to a bold green polo to a white tee. (For what it’s worth it also looks quite nice against my steel watch.) And just like every pair of Ravine shorts, they’re built in Connecticut from an incredibly soft and water-resistant Japanese nylon that makes them ideal for all of your warm weather adventures, whether you’re hiking a mountain, taking a dip in a lake, getting your schvitz on in the gym, or simply strolling around town on a lazy Sunday.

Jake Woolf x Manresa Ravine Shorts in “Woolf Gray”

As far as fit, they have a 5” inseam (the sexiest inseam a man can wear, IMO) and an extremely forgiving fit, boasting a wide leg opening that’s accommodating to basically all body types. Other A+ details include the right-sized front pockets, which I say because they are a massive improvement on the extra-long pockets found on other 5” nylon shorts on the market. There’s also a mesh drainage panel on the inside that solidifies their bonafides for water-based activities. That said, they don’t have a mesh lining, but for a lot of people (myself included) that’s actually a W, especially because I’m usually wearing them in casual, non swim settings. And did I mention that they come with a lifetime guarantee? Meaning, if you tear a seam doing a sick jackknife off a diving board three summers from now, Manresa will fix them up, free of charge.

Pictured with Manresa’s made in USA long sleeve thermal shirt, which is available right now at the label’s pop-up shop at 251 Elizabeth street. I’m wearing a size medium.

Anyway, I’m super stoked to have teamed up with one of my favorite brands in the business—and one that hails, like me, from the great state of Connecticut (home of the world’s best college basketball and pizza)—on what I know is a truly excellent product. I’m clearly biased, but I legitimately think these are now my favorite version of them ever made. I concede that they’re not as head-turning as the yellow or as slick as the black, but having rocked them all day yesterday, I can say they’re endlessly wearable, extremely flattering, and, according to several studies, come with a 100% success rate of making people stop in the street to tell you how good you look. (That last point especially is indisputable.)

That said, due to the amount of fabric that was available, we had to limit the run to just 30 pairs. So if you want to be one of the lucky few to own a special version of one of my favorite pairs of shorts money can buy right now, click the link below and enter the password that’s beyond the paywall. And if you do end up picking up a pair, let me be the first to say…THANK YOU.

$170, available now at manresaclothing.com

*Any pairs that don’t sell in the first 24 hours will be made available to the public on Sunday, August 17.

Subscribe below to access the site via password.