Explainer / What is the relationship ‘swag gap’? From Hailey and Justin Bieber to Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco

Jan 5 , 2026

Justin Bieber (left) and Hailey Bieber at the 2022 Grammy Awards. Photo: Getty Images

It’s been 2 years since the Biebers attended a Rhode beauty drop in wildly different outfits – and TikTok seems to think such ‘swag gaps’ are relationship deal-breakers

While Justin and Hailey Bieber are no strangers to dominating headlines with endless speculation about their marriage – from Justin’s mental health struggles to rumours about a divorce – the internet has pointed out a new supposed red flag threatening their relationship: the “swag gap”.

Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber in New York City, in August 2023. There’s an obvious “gap” between their personal styles. Photo: Getty Images

Coined and popularised on TikTok, the “swag gap” references relationships where one partner is stylish, polished and overall has “swag”, while the other looks like they raided a laundry hamper in the dark. The Biebers’ much-memed appearance in New York on August 28, 2023, for the launch of Hailey’s Rhode beauty drop has become Exhibit A: she arrived in a sleek red minidress and matching heels, while he opted for grey sweats, Crocs and a baseball cap. It was a mismatch that Teen Vogue dubbed a “sartorial infraction” that quickly went viral and even inspired Halloween costumes. Ironically, in July 2025, Justin released an album titled Swag.

TikTok’s swag gap relationship “survivors” are sounding the alarm, sharing the dangers of dating a wardrobe slacker. “What I will not do is have a swag gap relationship,” declared TikTok creator @itsalmondmilkhunni in a video. “Having me showing up in public looking swagged out, looking fly, I have a cool outfit. And then my partner just looks an effing mess behind me … I can’t do it.”

Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler in 50 First Dates. Photo: Handout

Sure, “opposites attract” is a popular romance trope in media, from nerdy girl-meets-jock flicks to Adam Sandler’s entire filmography (or his real-life vibe with his wife). Or think glam goddess Kylie Jenner next to Timothée Chalamet and his buzz cut, or Selena Gomez in archival Mugler paired with Benny Blanco’s ripped jeans at the same event.

But the swag gap is more than just a difference in aesthetics. It is shorthand for a deeper mismatch in vibe, energy and effort. Showing up to your wife’s brand launch in a slouchy grey hoodie while her outfit is coordinated from head to toe, for example, reads to many as a lack of alignment and, potentially, a lack of respect for her.

But is your relationship really doomed if you and your significant other can’t agree on an outfit? Not necessarily, said TikTokker Isabella Duffy in a BBC interview: “The only way the swag gap wouldn’t be problematic was if the partner with less swag was a cheerleader for their partner and proud of them rather than emasculated or resentful.”

Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner at a screening of Marty Supreme in California, in December 2025. Photo: Reuters

But is it really that deep, or is the swag gap just another Gen Z buzzword with a short lifespan? According to an article by Forbes, the conversation taps into bigger questions about self-image and relationship power dynamics. Research published in 2021 in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships found that perceived power in a relationship (how superior or inferior to your partner you feel) can affect how much value you place on them and how sensitive you are to conflict. “In the context of the swag gap, feeling less cool than your partner starts creating a very influential sense of power imbalance and changes how one experiences the relationship,” stated the article.

Benny Blanco and Selena Gomez backstage at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in March 2025. Photo: Getty Images