Women collectively splashed out £4.3 billion on their credit cards during the past year trying to emulate their favourite celebrities, according to research.
Three-quarters of women admitted they felt under pressure to have the perfect figures, immaculate grooming and expensive wardrobes flaunted by actresses and models, according to Virgin Money.
The group found that women spent an average of £713 each on their credit cards during the past 12 months on designer accessories, fake tans and hair extensions, a trend it has dubbed celebrity spending.
It also found that women are more obsessed with celebrities' images than with their lifestyle, with 24 per cent saying they would most like to have their idol's figure and wardrobe.
Virgin Money said fashion and gossip magazines were the celebrity spenders' bibles, with 92 per cent saying they trawled their pages for the latest looks.
Monday September 20, 2004
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