Self-styled ‘on-line fashion bible’ cosmopolitan.co.uk has produced some rather surprising information, that seems to paint women as selfish imbeciles, obsessed with Manolo Blahnik heels and H&M skirts.

According to a new survey of 778 Cosmopolitan readers aged between 19 and 45, 74% of respondents confessed that thoughts of splashing out on shoes, bags and dresses pop into the heads every 60 seconds. This compares to the dubious but commonly-held belief that men think about sex every 52 seconds.

Even more surprisingly, half of the women surveyed claimed they preferred ‘retail therapy’ to spending time with their partner, and nearly as many confessed to keeping their shopping escapades secret from their partner, so as to hide their level of spending.

These figures mean that if we assume an average sleep of eight hours a night, then thoughts of shopping trips consume these women an astonishing 960 times a day, or 6,720 times a week.

Further, the survey suggests that the thrill is in the chase for women, where shopping is concerned, because about half the respondents said they didn’t wear everything in their wardrobe, and 40% described themselves as bag or shoe ‘addicts’, with one in ten becoming bored with a new item after only a fortnight.

And, it doesn’t end there: Apparently even the current credit crunch can’t stand in the way of a shopping spree, with 62% saying that they would delay payments using credit cards, and 8% even prepared to use the funds saved to pay the rent or mortgage.

On average, those surveyed said they spent at least 30% of their annual income on clothes; around a quarter would think nothing of spending £200 or more on a longed-for item, and more than a third would buy it in three or more colours.

Discussing the survey, psychologist Dr Jane Prince, of the University of Glamorgan, said:

People think about things which bring them pleasurable feelings. The pleasure is usually in the anticipating and planning.

But so many women displaying this level of preoccupation, thinking about something once a minute, would indicate widespread addictive behaviour with regard to shopping which really does not seem to be evidenced in any academic literature I have ever seen.

You might also enjoy reading:-

• Cuddling after sex is more important than you knew
• Sexually repressed Britons may be a myth
• Sex on the Brain
• Want better sex? Get a Brazilian.
• A kiss is just a kiss (or is it?)

Posted by Jonathan in Anthropology, Psychology

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