'Anti-Thigh Gap' Jeans Are a Game Changer

Ah, jeans. They're supposed to be the most comfortable pants in the world, right? But for many of us, jean shopping is nothing short of a nightmare. Shopping for jeans has made me cry more times than I can count. Traditional cuts and sizing just don't work for everyone. Which is where Barbell Apparel comes in.

The brand, operated by athletes in Nevada who each spend at least 20 hours per week in a gym, has created what some are calling the anti-thigh gap jean. Sound amazing already? Check out this statement from their Kickstarter page.

We wear jeans because they're stylish, comfortable, and can match any outfit you throw at them. But what happens when you want to be active; lift some weights, play some ball, climb a tree, or even just help move some boxes? The Barbell Apparel team spends a minimum of 20 hours a week in the gym, and when we get off work, we’re snowboarding, mountain biking, motorcycling, and doing just about any adrenaline fueled movement you can think of. We were tired of struggling with jeans that didn’t fit, weren’t comfortable, and completely restricted our ability to move. So we decided to fix it.

The Barbell team then took the average measurements of their athletic friends and realized that most jeans offered by traditional retailers simply don't fit an athletic build. Not too surprising, since jeans are pretty much designed to fit only stick-straight 12-year-old girls and anyone who deviates from that model (pretty much everyone) is out of luck. They created an original jean sized to your waist, not your legs. In short, no more buying a size up in the waist and giving everyone a glimpse of your underwear if you so much as bend to pick up a pencil.

Hunter Molzen, co-owner of Barbell and my new hero, told ABC News, "These are the anti-thigh gap jeans. Athletes work hard for their strong, meaty thighs and they should be proud of them. It’s how human beings were built to function.” YES.

So I don't spend 20 hours in the gym each week. But I walk four miles each day for exercise, stand while working, fit 15-minute Pilates workouts into my busy schedule, and enjoy not feeling like a stuffed sausage whenever I sit down. I also have muscular legs and a tiny waist, which makes finding the right size pants a challenge even though I'm petite. Barbell Apparel jeans sound like a dream to me.

A lot of people agree with me, it seems. Barbell Apparel reached their Kickstarter goal of $15,000 to get production off the ground within 47 minutes. With 32 days to go, the campaign is already up to $178,417 in pledged funding. The anti-thigh gap jean just might become a reality. I, for one, can't wait.

Image: barbell apparel