What they say about you, your partner and the state of your relationship

Meanwhile, Justin, 31, stays a few steps behind, dressed as if he’d fallen off a jumping ramp.

Justin’s signature look (baseball cap, hoodie, and XXL knee-length shorts pulled down just enough to reveal the trademark elasticity of his underwear) can be attributed in part to the fact that sportswear is to pop and rap artists what tailoring is to the landed gentry. Like the artist formerly known as Kanye West, Bieber gets some praise for dressing much more casually than his wife.

Similarly, record producer Benny Blanco, who recently married the always flamboyant Selena Gomez, seems almost proud of his offbeat sense of style, mixing Hawaiian shirts with football shorts or faded T-shirts with scruffy overalls and pool slides.

But not every booty-gap relationship happens in the casual settings of Montecito or Los Angeles.

During his time as prime minister, Boris Johnson was frequently criticized for his disheveled appearance; Some suggested that his rumpled suits and shirts with torn inside trousers were a shrewd political tool rather than a sign of laziness.

Others argued that his eccentricity was a form of privilege, noting that only a member of the Eton-educated elite could flout traditional dress codes without consequence.

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Although his impeccably turned-out wife Carrie manages to smarten him up to some degree, theirs remains a classic spoil-difference relationship. Roksanda is a media consultant with a fondness for Boden and The Vampire’s Wife – even on country walks – who always looks thoughtful, putting more emphasis on each outfit than her husband did when he ran the country.

Although she seems to have persuaded Boris to comb his hair every now and then, his day-to-day look still exudes barely contained chaos.

But perhaps that’s part of the appeal. “It may seem strange, but I actually like my husband to always dress simply,” says Charlotte, a 52-year-old lawyer.

“As a freelance graphic designer, he doesn’t come from a corporate background. On the rare occasions when he wears a suit, he looks stiff and awkward, probably because he feels that way. Maybe he’s a little too confident in hoodies, and yes, his jeans have definitely seen better days, but as someone who doesn’t like to dress up, I like the bar to be low when I do it.”

However, it is not always the man who is lacking in elegance.

“My wife would wear jeans to a funeral,” says management consultant Dominic, 47. “She has so many dresses that she never seems to wear them anymore. It can be discouraging when I try to see her in the same old jeans. I have to admit, sometimes I read more into this than I should. Is it me, or is it her? Or does she really like jeans?”

According to relationship psychologist Anjula Mutanda, sometimes it pays to go deeper. “Our clothing is a form of communication. Generally speaking, when a person stops making the effort they once made, it can signal dissatisfaction or disinterest. [In couples’ therapy]you can use this as a prelude to peeling a particular onion, as it often suggests something else might be going on.

This doesn’t mean that spoil-difference relationships are doomed to failure. “Problems only arise when one person’s presentation has a negative impact on the other,” says Mutanda. “It’s okay for one person to dress more stylishly or confidently, as long as the other person isn’t diminished or their appearance weaponized.”

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Plus, in an age when couples are praised for reflecting each other’s style, there’s something refreshing about those running their own tailoring business.

If such gaps bother you, remember this; You fell in love with that person, not with their clothes, no matter how poor quality those clothes were.

Five signs you’re in a swag gap relationship

• Your partner’s hoodie collection could rival JD Sports
• Looks like they don’t have a hairbrush
• They think Crocs are perfectly acceptable dinner wear
• They don’t have a single specialty product
• They haven’t worn anything without an elastic waist since 2019

Telegraph, London

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