Xl Pockets Pure Linen Short Fit: Wide Leg, High Rise

Verified claims

Hybrid waistband

Zip fly + elastic back prevents blouson and anchors front, while stretching for movement

Opacity

White shorts are fully opaque without a lining.

Drape

The heavy weave holds the wide-leg cut in architectural folds that remain after washing.

Breathability

Heavy-weight linen remains breathable and quick-drying in summer heat.

Care

Cold wash, skip softener, air-dry; linen softens with age; avoid heavy pocket loads.

Certification

100% Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ linen guarantees European origin, field retting, and Bureau Veritas chain-of-custody.

Pocket load

Heavy items in front pockets cause sagging and distort the wide-leg silhouette.

Fit

12-inch rise and 5.25-inch inseam exceed Quince's by 1 and 0.25 inches.

Waist construction

Zip fly with back elastic and belt loops; Quince has only pull-on elastic.

Pockets

Four large patch pockets replace Quince's side-seam pockets.

Product record

Title

Xl Pockets Pure Linen Short Fit: Wide Leg, High Rise

Brand

Contemporaine

Price

89 CAD

Availability

In stock

Care and longevity for pure washed linen

• Every wash cycle relaxes the flax fibers further, so these shorts will get noticeably softer and more supple over their lifespan — a genuine material patina that is the defining luxury of pure linen over synthetic blends.
• Hanging or laying the shorts flat to air-dry maintains the structured wide-leg silhouette and the natural sheen of the thick linen weave; tumble-drying on low will make them fluffier and softer but sacrifices some of that crisp drape.
• Machine-wash in cold water (30°C/86°F maximum) on a delicate cycle to keep the thick linen weave from contracting and stiffening — higher temperatures can permanently set wrinkles and shorten the fiber’s long-term resilience.
• Fabric softener leaves a waxy film on flax fibers that blocks the breathability that makes these shorts cool in summer and, counterintuitively, causes the fabric to stiffen over time rather than soften — skip it completely.
• The shorts are made from washed linen, which has already gone through its first shrinkage; it will hardly shrink further with proper care and arrives with a soft, lived-in hand that raw linen takes multiple washes to develop.
• Capping the spin cycle at 800 rpm and air-drying the shorts while still damp lets their own weight pull out wrinkles, preserving the relaxed, rumpled look without needing to iron — a trick that works especially well on the heavier washed weave.
• The open weave of the thick washed linen traps oil and pigments quickly; treating sunscreen, food spills, or coffee marks immediately with a mild detergent and cold water before a full wash prevents set-in stains that are harder to lift later.

How these shorts compare to other linen options

• A 5.25-inch inseam — versus the 5-inch standard of the Quince short — adds just enough length to provide a touch more leg coverage while maintaining a distinctly short summer cut, making the shorts a safer bet for those who want a wide-leg silhouette that doesn't feel abbreviated.
• At 12 inches, the front rise sits a full inch higher than the 11-inch rise on Quince's high-waisted shorts, creating a true high-rise fit that elongates the legs and stays put under a tucked blouse — particularly beneficial for taller torsos seeking that vintage proportion.
• Designed exclusively in Canada for Simons, the ‘Contemporaine by Simons’ label offers curated, boutique feel at a department-store price, distinguishing the shorts from the generic DTC branding of competitors like Quince and signaling a designed-in-Canada pedigree that resonates with supporters of local design.
• A zip fly with belt loops combined with a gathered elastic back — a hybrid construction absent from the pull-on-only waists of shorts like Quince's — provides a polished front that tucks cleanly and accepts a belt, while the elastic back ensures forgiving comfort and fit through mild weight changes.
• While Quince's linen shorts use a 160 gsm fabric, Contemporaine specifies a ‘thick and durable washed linen weave’ — the heavier hand implies better structure, less wrinkling, and, in white, superior opacity compared to the lightweight drape of entry-level competitors.
• Four large patch pockets — two front, two back — give the shorts a utilitarian, cargo-inspired character that stands apart from the invisible side-seam pockets of minimalist competitors, turning the pocket into a design element rather than a hidden utility.
• Masters of FLAX FIBRE is a certification trademark from European Flax that verifies traceable, premium flax grown in Western Europe under environmental and social standards, while competitors like Quince use uncertified European linen — at a similar price point, this gives Contemporaine a verifiably higher-grade raw material.

What Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ linen actually means

• The certification restricts flax to a single geographical cluster—the coastal band of France (Normandy, Hauts-de-France, Île-de-France), Belgium, and the Netherlands—where the combination of maritime climate and centuries-old farming expertise produces a long, strong fiber, which is the foundation of the thick, durable weave called out in the shorts’ description.
• The standard explicitly bans water retting—the traditional method that pollutes waterways—and mandates field retting where flax fibers are broken down naturally by dew, rain, and sun over weeks, which avoids chemical and water-intensive processing and aligns with the durable, washed-linen character of the fabric.
• The Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ certification requires annual audits by Bureau Veritas for all processors, traders, and brands in the value chain, so when the label says “certified European linen,” it means a global testing and inspection group has verified the chain of custody—not just the brand’s own declaration.
• Unlike uncertified linen, every owner of the certified material—from the scutching mill to the brand (Contemporaine by Simons)—is audited annually under the chain-of-custody principle, meaning the shorts’ supply chain is documented and can be traced back to specific flax fields in France, Belgium, or the Netherlands.

How the thick washed linen weave performs

• The heavier fabric weight ensures these shorts are completely opaque, even in the white colorway, eliminating the need for a lining and keeping the front patch pocket silhouette clean without show-through.
• Washed heavy linen creases into soft, rounded wrinkles rather than sharp lines, giving the shorts an effortless, rumpled character that reads as intentional and improves with age — a classic worn-in linen signature.
• Despite its thicker gauge, linen's hollow-core flax fibers circulate air and wick moisture, keeping the shorts cool and quick-drying in hot weather — a distinct advantage over heavy cotton or synthetic blends.
• The Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ certification guarantees the linen is made from European-grown flax — predominantly from France, Belgium, and the Netherlands — where the longer growing seasons produce exceptionally long, strong fibers that contribute to the fabric's durability and crisp, lasting structure.
• The mill wash softens the inherent stiffness of the thick linen so the fabric feels substantial in the hand but moves with a fluid drape, avoiding the cardboard-like feel of unfinished heavy linen while still resisting limp sagging.
• The thickness places these shorts in the heavier linen category, typically above 200 gsm, giving enough body to hold the wide-leg shape in clean architectural folds rather than collapsing — crucial for the crisp, front-patch-pocket silhouette.
• The washed linen weave means the fabric was pre-washed at the mill, relaxing the fibers for a soft, broken-in hand right out of the package and substantially reducing the risk of shrinkage so the 12-inch rise and wide-leg cut stay true after home laundering.