Research Shows Ovulation Increases Women's Desire to Be Seen with Luxury Products

A new study from Jeonbuk National University in South Korea reveals that where a woman is in her menstrual cycle can influence her spending habits. During ovulation, women are more likely to splurge on luxury items like designer handbags or eye-catching shoes, unconsciously using luxury products to attract a potential partner.

In a series of experiments, researchers tested how strongly women are drawn to major luxury brands throughout their monthly cycle. The study began with 70 female students who were asked to trace the logos of well-known luxury brands such as Gucci, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton. The participants did not use hormonal contraception. When the women were in their cycle around ovulation, they drew the logos significantly larger than when they were in a less fertile period of the month.

The researchers then surveyed 1,486 women about the products they would most like to buy. Women who were in their ovulation period at the time had a greater need to purchase luxury items. Notably, this only applied to items that are publicly visible. The hormonal cycle had no effect on the urge to buy luxury products used only in the home.

In a third study, women could choose between a hundred-dollar gift card from a luxury brand like Ralph Lauren or a cheaper chain like Old Navy. Participants who were around ovulation more often chose the luxury brand gift card.

The researchers suspect fertility influences a woman's desire to be noticed by a man. When participants read that men do not notice whether women wear expensive brands, they chose the luxury brands less often, even if they were around ovulation.

According to the scientists, the pull toward luxury products is not just hormonal but also a social phenomenon. "It appears to be socially strategic. The effect is stronger when luxury consumption is visible and personally relevant, but disappears when women think men do not pay attention to such signals," the study authors wrote.

Women hold a slightly larger share of the luxury market than men. Last year the global luxury goods market was worth over 461 billion dollars, with women making 56 percent of purchases. Luxury products are used by both men and women to present themselves as an attractive partner. Expensive bags or watches serve like a peacock's tail feather.