WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A study published in PLOS One found that women may show a stronger preference for visible luxury products around ovulation, when fertility is highest.
The research included three studies involving more than 2,000 women. In the first, 70 women drew luxury logos on pictures of handbags and shoes. They drew larger logos for themselves during their fertile period and smaller logos on items meant for other women.
In the second study, women showed greater interest in buying luxury clothing when they expected to wear it in public during their fertile period. This effect was not seen for non-luxury brands or luxury clothes meant to be worn only at home.
The third study found a similar pattern. Women near peak fertility were more likely to choose a luxury-brand gift card over a non-luxury one. However, this preference disappeared after women read that men do not pay much attention to designer clothing.
'What we found most interesting is that the effect of ovulation on luxury desire is not simply a general increase in preference for expensive products. Rather, it appears to be socially strategic: the effect becomes stronger when luxury consumption is visible and personally relevant but disappears when women believe that men do not pay attention to such signals,' the authors noted.
The researchers concluded that fertility-related hormonal changes may influence women's preference for noticeable luxury goods, particularly when they believe these products could help attract potential partners.
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