The swim shorts
Released in May 2017
Released in June 2021
- Switch from a polyamide fabric to a recycled polyester fabric
- The inner mesh is no longer sewn to the waistband with topstitching, but with an overlock seam to prevent holes from appearing
- Metal tips removed from the drawstrings to avoid any risk of corrosion
- More stretch in the waistband so it stays put better
- Brand label no longer sewn into the waistband but embroidered at the bottom of the thigh (it used to itch)
- Removal of the side slit, which can end up tearing
- Zip on the back pocket rather than the side pocket (it used to hurt your hand)
- Removal of the dryspeed chemical treatment
To find out more about what led us to make all these improvements, read this article
Released in June 2022
- Changes to the swim shorts cut: we've widened the thighs and slightly lengthened the legs
- The waistband is a bit more stretchy
- New, softer inner lining
- Changed the drawstrings so they hold better when tied
For a swim, it's hard to do without synthetics. And polyester has one huge advantage: it's so durable that you'll be able to keep these swim trunks for a very long time.
The polyester we use comes from recycled plastic bottles, but that's no cure-all either (more info here).
A lightweight, sturdy fabric, made in France by the company Sofileta in its factory in Bourgoin-Jallieu, near Lyon in southeast France.
To dry faster, swimwear is often treated with PFAS, chemical compounds that can contaminate the environment for centuries. To do without them, we chose a fabric light enough and a drawstring thin enough to dry quickly "naturally".
These swim trunks are made in the Portuguese factory Be Simple, which we've worked with since 2021
Worn, tested and approved by thousands of customers, these swim shorts are the result of several years of continuous improvement. We've refined them over time to reach a quality-ethics-price balance that we now consider optimal. For instance, we could opt for a fabric that dries faster, but that would mean resorting to PFAS, whose effects on the environment and human health are worrying.
The techniques behind the quality
Colourfast dye
Chlorine and UV rays are pretty harsh on colours, but our French manufacturer did a great job making sure your swimsuit keeps its colour. We tested it in the lab: colourfastness of 5/5 in chlorinated water, 4/5 under UV exposure.
Colourfast dye
Special zip
Special zip
The back pocket closes with a YKK zip, a Japanese maker of quality zips. It's a special grade, designed to withstand water, chlorine and salt.
Colourfast dye
Special zip
Splish splash
Swim shorts checklist
Check 1- A beautiful made in France fabric, sturdy but light enough to dry quickly. Check 2- A waistband that stays put (no need to explain why that matters). Check 3- A zipped pocket at the back: you'll want a few coins on hand to treat your friends to a drink after the swim.
In detail
Soft inner mesh
To avoid irritation.
Back pocket
With a zip fastening.
Elasticated waistband
With drawstring.
Thin drawstring
Polyester so it dries quickly.
Embroidered eyelets
They let the air out and prevent the balloon effect.
Subtle logo
Embroidered tone-on-tone at the bottom of the thigh.
How to wear it
A few ideas if you're stuck
Composition
100% recycled polyester
Origin and certifications
- Polyester: Italy
- Weaving and dyeing: France
- Manufacturing: Portugal
How this product will age
How do we know? We ask our customers what they think of the product one year after they've bought it. And if the product is less than a year old, we give you our predictions based on some spontaneous feedback and on our experience with similar products.
The swimsuit will stay in great condition; no ageing issues have been reported so far. The knots in the drawstrings may come undone and the ends may fray. If that happens, trim off the excess, retie the knot and burn the end with a lighter so it doesn't happen again (see a step-by-step video at this link).
Care instructions
The knots in the drawstrings may come undone and the ends may fray. If that happens, trim off the excess, retie the knot and burn the end with a lighter so it doesn't happen again (watch how it's done here).
ALWAYS rinse your swimsuit after a swim (your pétanque tournament can wait): chlorine can end up eating away at the elastic and fading the fabric, and salt water can weaken them.
No tumble dryer, unless you like stretched-out elastic.
If you get a sunscreen stain, rub the area with soap and then rinse. And every now and then (at the end of your holiday for example, before you put it away in your wardrobe), wash it inside out at a low temperature (30°C or less).
Environmental cost
This environmental cost is calculated using the official methodology of the French environmental labelling scheme (in force since 1 October 2025).
The label above shows the product's environmental cost according to the official methodology of French environmental labelling. It's what its manufacture "costs" nature when you look at its impact on climate change, ocean acidification, its toxicity for freshwater, and so on. Currently rolled out in the textile sector, this label should soon appear on many everyday consumer products (food, cosmetics, furniture and more) to help you shop more responsibly.
The swimsuit therefore has an environmental cost of 401 impact points*.
By comparison, a garment of equivalent weight, 100% polyester, made in Bangladesh and sold by a fast fashion brand has an environmental cost of 1115 points*.
Why the difference? Here are the main reasons:
- Production countries: manufacturing in Portugal or France requires less fossil fuel than in Bangladesh (one of the main producers of low-cost clothing). The result: this more local manufacturing limits the impact on climate change, ocean acidification and resource depletion.
- Durability: fast fashion brands drive purchases in particular by refreshing their collections very quickly and offering a huge number of styles, and they discourage repairs by charging laughably low prices. This increases the number of garments sold per person and reduces the number of times a garment is worn. At Loom, on the other hand, we've chosen business practices that encourage our customers to keep their clothes as long as possible.
Even though we've done everything we can to keep it as low as possible, the environmental impact of this product isn't negligible. So before buying, make your clothes last as long as you can.
*Calculations made by Loom on 31/08/2026. Click the links to access the simulations from the official Ecobalyse tool and get more details on the assumptions used. Please note: the number of points isn't always exactly the same on Ecobalyse (whose method evolves regularly) as on the official environmental labelling (based on version 7.0 of Ecobalyse)
Reviews for this product
The standard practice is to send review request e-mails a few days after the purchase. We wait a month, the minimum time needed to form a well-informed opinion
Customer review policy
When do you ask customers for reviews?
We send you a review request one month after you receive your order. We reckon that's the minimum amount of time needed to have worn and washed a garment several times and to really form a well-informed opinion. After that, all your reviews are published within the week, whether they're good or not.
Do you ask for reviews on 100% of the products customers order?
We used to do that at first, then we realised we were starting to send far too many emails to some people who buy from us regularly. In short, we were spamming a bit. On top of that, it was starting to take up way too much of the team's time to reply to reviews - since we want to reply individually and privately to almost every person who leaves us a review. Today, we no longer ask for reviews on products that meet the following two criteria: 1/ There are enough reviews shown on the site for people who want to buy to form a well-informed opinion about the product 2/ We've read enough reviews within the Loom team to understand how to improve the product for the next generation.
Hold your horses: what proves we don't tamper with reviews by slapping 5 stars everywhere?
Honestly: nothing, we're just giving you our word. Same as for everything else, by the way: where we manufacture, where our wool comes from, our lab test scores, and so on. The only times we might touch what you write are if your message contains spelling mistakes (and even then, quite a few slip past us) or if it's racist, homophobic, and so on (but that's never happened so far).
Asking for a review after a month isn't enough to know whether the clothes really are durable, is it?
You're right, which is why we send you another review request email a year after your purchase – we even ask for a photo to see how your garment has aged. The answers help us improve our clothes and provide information about "how this product will age" on our product pages. To avoid bothering our customers needlessly, we don't ask for these reviews on 100% of the products ordered: as soon as we have enough data to understand the areas for improvement, we stop asking for the one-year reviews.