Best Pants for Men with Muscular Thighs
Do You Have to Do a Little Dance to Wear Your Pants? Try These on for Size
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If you’re fortunate enough to have a muscular or athletic build, you’re probably stuck in athleisure more often than not as regular clothes don’t seem to fit quite right. Either the shirt is too slim, the pants are too narrow or you end up showing off more muscles than you ever intended.
Finding pants that fit well can be an especially tricky problem to solve. Muscular thighs end up being too wide for most traditional pants and the market hasn’t really figured out how to flatter the male athletic leg rather than irritate.
RELATED: How to Pull Off Athletic Wear
“Wear on the waist you were given,” says independent and Sene stylist Victoria Hitchcock.
She says that a muscular, athletic or stocky figure needs a waistline that’s well pronounced and thoughtfully-designed. This typically comes from something with a bit of stretch material added to the fabric. With jeans in particular, the pants should be able to hold their shape and not be something you have to wash after one wear to get back to that original silhouette.
“I’d recommend looking for pants and denim labeled ‘athletic fit’,” says Stitch Fix Men’s Styling Expert Christopher Da Costa. “These are designed to have more room in the seat and thigh while giving the appearance of a slim, modern profile through the leg.”
He adds that if you’re looking for something a little “roomier,” relaxed pants can be an acceptable “fit” as well.
With all of this in mind, we’ve put together a few of our favorite options for jeans and pants that are best for men with muscular thighs. We’ve picked styles ranging from the athletic to more relaxed and even something for Sunday brunching.
Best Athletic Fit Denim
DU/ER Relaxed Stay Dry Denim
This Vancouver brand has been consistently putting out some of the best travel pants on the market for a few years now. Almost its entire lineup has some kind of stretch material added to create just enough give and flexibility for working all day or a long flight. These particular jeans are a mix of cotton, Coolmax polyester and Lycra spandex for durable and water-resistant wear.
$139 at Shopduer.com
Everlane Uniform Athletic 4-Way Stretch Organic Jean
Everlane
For a more methodical approach, Everlane has you covered with this interesting organic cotton style that comes in a four-way stretch fabric. The textile has been wash-tested 50 times to stand up to just about anything you might put it through and it comes in three different washes for a variety of uses. At under $90, it’s a great value.
$88 at Everlane.com
Madewell Athletic Slim Authentic Flex Jeans
We’re fans of the dark wash with this denim, something that’s hard to find in athletic cuts. Madewell’s ever-expanding men’s collection of jeans moves up another notch with these classy pants that would pair wear with white sneakers and a solid button-down.
$128 at Madewell.com
Best Athletic Fit Chinos
Levi’s 541 Athletic Taper Chino
Levi’s
The 541 fit from Levi’s is essentially the gold standard for athletic fit bottoms. The brand perfected it through decades of refinement and have all sorts of options in this particular cut. These pants are great for business casual or slightly dressier occasions — and you’re certainly not going to miss your stretch denim while wearing them, although Levi’s offers the 541 fit in jeans too.
From $48.63 on Amazon.com
Bonobos Athletic Fit Stretch Washed Chino
Stretch chinos are such a versatile staple of any wardrobe. Dress them up, dress them down, even wear them on your next long-haul flight. Bonobos also has shorter lengths for those of us with smaller inseams than the average person — save on tailoring and invest in a solid fitting pair … or two.
$99 at Bonobos.com
Best Athletic Fit Joggers
Lululemon ABC Jogger Warpstreme
Lululemon
Lululemon’s best-selling ABC Jogger should be on your short list of potential joggers that can accommodate large, muscular thighs. They come in a wide variety of colors, each offering a comfortable, tapered fit as well as practical extras like a hidden pocket and zippered back pocket.
$128 at Lululemon.com
Vuori Sunday Performance Jogger
And lastly, there’s the very weekend, very casual pair of joggers. We included these not only for their simplistic style, but the fact that they’re one of the few joggers cut at 28” for shorter legs. No more half-cuffing at the bottom, no more scrunched pant legs. They look as comfy as they act and are made to be that all-around weekend errand pant.
$89 at VuoriClothing.com
Rhone Guru Pant
Rhone stormed onto the market with everyday athletic wear fitted out in technical styles rounded out with functional fabrics. There’s something a step above sweats with the Guru Pant — it might be the media pocket, it might be the long seam finish — and whatever it is, we like it.
$98 at Rhone.com
