Keeping up with dating and relationship slang can feel like a full-time job, but one phrase in particular seems to have real staying power.
Gen-Z popularised the term ‘Swag Gap’, and it took off across social media last year.
Since then, plenty of people have debated whether couples can actually make it work when there’s a noticeable ‘gap’ in style — with Justin and Hailey Bieber often brought up as a go-to example.
Most people will remember the 2023 snap of the pair out in New York: Hailey dressed up in a red mini dress with heels and a matching bag, while Justin trailed behind in a hood (topped with a pink cap), grey shorts, white socks, and bright yellow Crocs.
According to the internet, that contrast is the definition of a ‘Swag Gap’.
When a new bit of relationship terminology starts doing the rounds, Urban Dictionary is usually where people go to pin down what it’s supposed to mean.
Here, a ‘Swag Gap’ is defined as: “Where one person in the relationship is more fashion conscious than the other.”
Whatever anyone thinks of the concept, it doesn’t seem to have caused issues for Hailey and Justin, who are still together — but it may be influencing how other people approach dating.
New Tinder data suggests 29 percent of young adults in the UK have ended a date early or decided against a second date because of a ‘Swag Gap’, even when they felt the conversation flowed well and the chemistry was there.
Cold.
The survey questioned 2,000 Brits aged 18-34, with 45 percent saying they’ve either experienced this kind of dynamic themselves or know someone who has.
It also found that 60 percent of respondents claim they can spot a ‘Swag Gap’ within the first twenty minutes of meeting someone.
Unsurprisingly, the topic has been argued over across social media, including on Reddit. In one thread from a few months back, a user asked whether people could date someone who ‘doesn’t care about fashion’.
One person responded: “I’m just a lot more attracted to women who dress cool. It’s not a huge turn off if they don’t, but I definitely am more into a girl when she has swag.”
Another added: “It’s a bonus if she cares but I’m really more worried about an emotional and intellectual connection with someone who shares similar values to me and who wants the same thing.”
A third weighed in: “Fashion and dressing appropriately are two separate things, completely. I think people get those two confused,” argued a third.
And someone else dismissed the whole idea, saying: “If you genuinely care about this you need to have a word with yourself.”
So where do you stand?