If you’re over age gap relationship discourse, good. Because it’s time to talk about a much more troubling dynamic plaguing modern romance: swag gap relationships.
The term has been making the rounds on TikTok, where swag gap relationship survivors are opening up about the dangers of dating someone with less swag than you.
“What I will not do is have a swag gap relationship,” says TikToker @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.”
And while a swag gap relationship can refer to literal swag, as in one partner having cooler clothes, better style, or an all-around more polished aesthetic than the other, it can also refer to overall vibes—e.g. one partner being cool and confident while the other is, you know, not that. And when a swag gap becomes a vibe gap, that’s when things really get risky.
While some may find the idea of a swag gap relationship charming in a “nerdy guy gets the cheerleader” kind of way, TikTokers are bravely stepping up to end the swag gap propaganda. Not only does a significant difference in swag leave you vulnerable to public humiliation and awkward situations where you show up to the function in style and your partner looks like they just got off work at the IT department, but a swag gap can even be enough to tank an entire relationship altogether.
“I’m starting to realize that might have been the problem with every person I’ve dated thus far, there was just a swag gap and they were just jealous that I had more swag than them,” TikToker @isaduffyy reflects in a recent video.
Worse yet, TikTokers warn that not even your own swag is safe from the black hole of a swagless partner’s swaglessness. You may think you’re in control—you may think the loser you’re dating is a harmless loser. But the truth is, eventually their lack of swag will inevitably rub off on you. It’s the kind of thing you never think could happen to you until it does.
So if you’re a single dater with a significant amount of swag in tow, stay vigilant. A swag gap relationship can happen to anyone—and it’s simply never worth the risk.
And if you or someone you know has been the victim of a swag gap relationship, help is available. The road to swag recovery is long, but you can take the first step today.
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