Review: Left Field NYC “Charles Atlas” 13oz Cone Mills Denim |

Since 2010, my raw denim cycle has gone a bit like this: Buy new jeans, break them in, wear them for 5 months, realize they’re too tight, repeat.

Thankfully, a new fit trend has been appearing as of late. Cut wider in the upper leg but with a healthy taper that doesn’t flood overtop of your shoes, these new models have been filling a previously unserved market for guys with big thighs and butts, which I just recently figured out that I have. Most tapered fits in my waist size of 32-33" have thighs in the 11.5" range. Standing up they may seem fine but once I’m sitting or moving around it feels like I’m trapped in sausage casing. Denim around the thighs does not tend to stretch out much, if at all, so it isn’t a matter of breaking them in. The advice to “size for thighs” does not work in most cases for me as I end up with a waist that is much too large. It seems like common sense now but a quick test I wish I had learned earlier is to sit down in a new pair and try to pinch a bit of the fabric around your thighs. If you can’t, they’re too tight.

Now before you ask, no, I don’t do squats or dead lifts, I’m just disproportionely shaped. Honestly, I wish the extra mass would’ve gone to my spaghetti arms instead. But I guess I now have an excuse to skip leg day. Right after I skip chest day. And back day.

Left Field NYC, founded by owner Christian McCann, has been making vintage-inspired clothing in the US for over 17 years. Their brand aesthetic pulls heavily from americana and biker culture. This newest fit is named after Charles Atlas, a famous bodybuilder from the 40’s and 50’s.

My pair were seconds from Left Field’s website that I bought unworn off a seller on eBay for $100.00 USD, so about half the price of a new pair. Supposedly the seconds feature “small slubs, flaws, stains, or other minor imperfections”. I honestly cannot find anything wrong with my pair, although I do appreciate the stringent quality control.



Made from a fairly standard, comfortable 13oz selvedge denim from Cone Mills in North Carolina, they have a front rise of 11 3/8", a back rise of 15 5/8", and a thigh measurement of 12 3/8″ down to a 7.25″ leg opening. The fit is currently also offered in a 14oz Japanese stretch denim from Collect Mills. I was debating whether or not to hem the 36" inseam but so far I’m keeping them as is with the thicker double cuff.

For comparison, here are photos of me wearing a pair of Japan Blue’s in my review from last year.

The most unexpected discovery I’ve made while wearing these is just how much I appreciate the higher rise. It’s more comfortable, I’m never in danger of plumber’s crack, and aesthetically it balances out my body’s proportions. If you’re a taller guy (I’m 6 feet) I would highly recommend trying out a similar pair.

The jeans feature American-made red bandana pocket bags and copper hardware, custom skull rivets (including hidden back pocket rivets), hidden coin pocket selvedge, and a thin embossed leather patch.

I also appreciate the clever use of tonal stitching. The crotch stitching is incognito while the double line sewn down the inseam has one stealth thread and one yellow thread, giving you the security of two but with the sleeker look of one.

For a numerical definition of this new “looser in the top block but still tapered” fit in my 32-33" waist size, I would consider pairs with at least a 12" thigh and a maximum 7.5" leg opening, keeping them from running into repro fit territory. These options include Japan Blue’s High Tapered, Rogue Territory’s Strider, Momotaro’s Natural Tapered, Stevenson Overall Co.’s 714 Valencia, Iron Heart’s 633s, and The Flat Head’s FH 3012. 3sixteen’s CT Classic Tapered sounds like it would fit within this group but only has an inexplicable 11.5″ thigh (a mere ¼" wider than their regular ST Straight Tapered fit, matching Japan Blue’s standard Tapered fit).

Here’s hoping that Left Field continues to release the Charles Atlas in more unique fabrics in the coming seasons. Specifically something similar to their Collect Mills 18oz Heavy Slub Greaser would be amazing. But, who knows, perhaps by this time next year I’ll have started drifting towards straighter cuts and I’ll be buying a pair of Greasers anyway.

There are currently a few 13oz Charles Atlas seconds left on the LF website, the full price pairs can be found here. If you’re looking for something different I recommend playing around with the Rawr Denim Scout. While it doesn’t always work perfectly, it’ll narrow down some options based on your measurements. It helped point me towards Left Field in the first place.