Published: 19:00 BST, 2 September 2026 | Updated: 19:00 BST, 2 September 2026
The sudden urge to splurge on a designer handbag might not be as random as it seems.
Researchers have found that women are more likely to buy and display luxury goods during the most fertile point of their menstrual cycle.
The reason, they say, could be rooted in an ancient drive to attract a prospective mate.
And by showing off the latest Gucci, Chanel or Louis Vuitton, women are more likely to be noticed by men.
'We suggest that women engage in conspicuous luxury consumption during ovulation, when they have a physiologically activated mating goal, because doing so helps women be noticed by men,' the researchers wrote in the journal Plos One.
'Being noticed by as many men as possible increases the likelihood of attracting a desired partner for a romantic relationship.'
The findings indicate that buying high-end goods such as designer clothes, accessories, jewellery and luxury cars is not only to signal wealth and prestige.
Instead, it provides a way of standing out during the time of the month when women tend to have increased sexual desire and want to outshine potential competition.
Results showed that ovulating women with high fertility had an increased desire to purchase luxury to be flaunted in public, but not in private
Researchers have found that women are more likely to buy and display luxury goods during the most fertile point of their menstrual cycle (stock image)
The study, carried out by a team from Jeonbuk National University of the Republic of Korea, was split into three sections.
During each, they used urine samples to measure hormone levels and a survey that estimated a woman's current phase in the menstrual cycle.
In the first part of the experiment, 70 female university students were asked to draw logos of luxury brands.
Analysis revealed they drew larger logos near ovulation compared with the low fertility phase of the cycle, indicating that women prefer more noticeable luxury during this time.
