If you've ever put on a pair of slim jeans, gotten them over your thighs, and then found the waist gaping two inches off your body — you know the problem. Slim and skinny cuts are designed for a specific build. If you carry muscle through the quads, hamstrings, and seat, those fits work against you no matter how well everything else is proportioned.
This is a problem that comes up a lot for shorter guys who also train. The standard advice for dressing as a shorter man — "go slim, go tapered, keep it fitted" — assumes a leaner build. For guys with more muscle through the lower body, that advice leads to jeans that either won't go on, or go on and look like compression tights.
The actual solution isn't to abandon structure. It's to find a fit with more room through the seat and thigh that still has enough shape to look intentional.
Why the Relaxed Straight works for athletic builds
The Relaxed Straight Jeans from Abbreviated have a mid-high rise, a relaxed seat and thigh, and a straight leg below the knee. That combination solves the athletic build problem specifically: the extra room through the hip and thigh means the jean goes on and sits the way it should, and the straight leg keeps the silhouette clean rather than tapering into something that looks undersized relative to what's above the knee.
The fabric does a lot of work here too. It's 98% cotton, 2% spandex at 14 oz — mid-weight with just enough stretch to move with you without going limp or losing shape. That 2% matters: a fully rigid denim on a muscular thigh feels like a vice all day.
One customer who described his quads as "on the more muscular side — about 22 inches around" found these fit perfectly: not too tight, not baggy. That's the target. The jean looks like it was chosen deliberately, not like the only option that would physically go on. Another reviewer noted "the leg has just the right amount of room" — which for an athletic build is exactly what you want to hear.
Available in Super Light Wash, Light Wash, Dark Medium Wash, Black Rinse, and Indigo Rinse. Inseams: 25", 26.5", and 28". If you're not sure which inseam to pick, the inseam guide walks through how to measure.
The rise matters more than most guys realize
The mid-high rise on the Relaxed Straight is worth calling out separately. A low-rise jean sits below the natural waist, which shortens the visual torso and compresses the leg. A mid or higher rise sits closer to the natural waist, which lengthens the leg line. For an athletic build specifically, the higher rise also helps keep the waistband where it belongs rather than getting pulled down by the seat.
What to wear with it
The Relaxed Straight has enough room that you want to balance it with something more fitted on top. A slim or fitted tee keeps the overall silhouette in proportion. The t-shirt guide covers what a fitted tee for shorter guys actually looks like, and the how to dress taller guide covers balancing relaxed and fitted pieces more broadly.
Footwear: the straight leg sits cleanly over most shoes. Chunky sneakers, clean runners, low-profile boots — all work. Avoid very thin-soled shoes, which can make the leg look like it terminates early rather than flowing into the shoe.
What about the Loose or Baggy fits?
If you want even more room, the Loose Jeans step up the roominess without going full streetwear. The Baggy Jeans are the most relaxed option and require a more intentional approach to styling — more on that in the baggy jeans post. For most athletic builds, the Relaxed Straight hits the right balance. The full comparison of every fit is in the jeans guide.