Review of: **Columbia Men's PFG Tamiami™ Short - Fossil (color)** The product description for these is a bit odd right now, with no product line name and other missing details. But these are Columbia's PFG Tamiami shorts with Omni-Shield and Omni-Shade technology. So what does all that mean? Let me explain... PFG is Columbia's line of Performance Fishing Gear. So yes, these are marketed as "fishing" shorts for some reason. Omni-Shield means the fabric is water repellant and apparently stain repellant, since they are not as prone to letting liquids penetrate that may stain the material. (They are 100% polyester, BTW). Omni-Shade means they provide sun protection, supposedly SPF. I personally have never been sunburned through any shorts before, regardless of whether they are advertised with an SPF rating or not. The listing for these shorts also refer to a "drawstring waist", which I can assure you these do NOT have. The waist is a button snap closure, and the back half is elastic so they have some range of fit in a given size. There are also belt loops if you wanted to cinch them up with a belt. Basically, these are what other clothing companies refer to as "hybrid" shorts, meaning they are designed to be worn for activities where you might get wet. They are very lightweight and relatively thin, so they don't soak up water easily and if they do get wet, they dry very easily. I have been wearing hybrid shorts from O'Neill, Oakley, and several other companies for years and love them for doing almost any type of warm weather activity. Columbia may be marketing these for fishing, but they are perfect for many other activities like boating, lounging by the pool, hiking (if you don't require much protection), hanging out at the beach, washing the car, sleeping in a hammock, etc. I ordered these in the "Fossil" color, which is a light beige color. The fabric has a very fine, small square pattern to it to give it a little flair. Looks good - subtle, but interesting. I almost always wear a size 32 or 33 waist in shorts or pants and ordered these in a size 32. The fit is perfect, but probably closer to the 33" size than 32. Note that the elastic part of the waistband does allow size variation in size. These are not baggy shorts, and the 8" inseam is just BARELY long enough for my taste. They are not "short shorts", but they do only come down to a few inches above my knee. I would have preferred another inch or two length, but that's not a big deal. They do come in a 10" inseam too, which I think will be a perfect length for me. (FWIW, I am 6-1 about 190lbs. If you are shorter and similar waist size, the 8" length is probably perfect.) The plastic button snap closure on the front (accompanied by a zippered fly) is ok, but I actually prefer a button that closes through a slit as opposed to the snap. Pockets are deep enough to hold things without them falling out (like cell phone, wallet, etc). I do like these shorts and am considering another pair in a different color, although I would get them in the 10" length instead of 8". I would definitely recommend these if you need versatile, lightweight, outdoor shorts that are suited for getting splashed (or more) while wearing.
