Maillots de bain Etam pour l'été portés par Caroline

Three Etam Swimsuits for Summer

Swimwear Caroline 4 min
The key takeaway: a try-on of three Etam swimsuits for summer, filmed in a rather special setting, a love room in Alsace. A cream one-piece embroidered with a plunging V-neckline that I loved, a shiny two-piece nicely designed but a bit scratchy, and an Azalea two-piece, all soft, with a removable padded cup. Etam, for me, is the right value-for-money compromise, and summer arrives quickly enough to start thinking about it. My frank opinion, with no fitting room and no mirror, you’ll be my judges.

A change of scene today, and no small one, I was invited to spend a night in a love room in Alsace to film a swimsuit try-on. An unusual setting, a spa bath in the middle of the room, lights everywhere, suffice to say I was delighted to step out of the usual studio. Summer is approaching, the shops are bringing out their collections, so I dropped by Etam, a brand I’m fond of for its good compromise between quality and reasonable price. I tried nothing on in a fitting room, so we really discover it all together.

The embroidered cream one-piece, my favourite

We start with a one-piece swimsuit in a luminous cream, with embroidered motifs that evoke, to my eye, something a little Mexican.

The V-neckline I love

The texture is soft and really pleasant, the back falls nicely in a round shape, and what I love above all is this plunging V-neckline, elegant with nothing vulgar about it. The cut-outs on the hips cover the bottom, which surprised me a little, since I like to tan that area, but the comfort is there. I have a little air of a classical dancer in a leotard, and frankly, I approve.

Choosing your one-piece. The one-piece is making a strong comeback, and the V-neckline lengthens the silhouette while staying chic. To tan despite a covering cut, go for high cut-outs on the hip, they free the leg and visually slim it down.

The shiny two-piece, pretty but scratchy

On to a more traditional two-piece, fastened at the back with a little lacing.

The downside of the fabric

Let’s be honest, the texture is less soft than the previous one, and the shiny side scratches a little, which isn’t the most pleasant despite its pretty look. The bottom goes V-shaped, front and back, thong style, so that one will have the advantage of tanning a bit more. But between us, I’m not sure I’ll approve it for the beach this year, comfort comes before flashiness.

The Azalea two-piece, softness regained

We finish with the Azalea model, and there, we’re back to the soft.

Removable cup and pretty pattern

The texture is truly very soft, with a little flexible cup inside, which you can remove, something I gladly do because I don’t much like the effect on my chest. The floral pattern echoes nicely from top to bottom, and the whole thing breathes summer freshness. A classic two-piece, feminine, comfortable, exactly what you’d want to spend the summer easy.

The lesson of the try-on. With no fitting room and no mirror, I judged mostly by touch and comfort, and that’s actually a good reflex. A swimsuit, you wear it for hours in the sun, so the softness of the fabric counts as much as the pattern. Beware of the shiny that scratches.

Three swimsuits, a summer in the making

Hard to choose only three, the collection was so pretty, but this trio sums up my criteria well, softness, an elegant neckline, and comfort before flashiness. For the little anecdote, this love room in Alsace made me want to rethink my own decor, and I loved the idea of filming somewhere other than home. By the way, my sugar-free, taurine-free energy drink carried the code Holy CARO5, I slip it in for those it tempts.

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PS. Tell me in the comments which of the three you would have taken to the beach… and admit it, you too judge a swimsuit first by its softness under your fingers, well before its pattern.