WOMEN shoppers in York splash out £113 a month on clothes - and spend £88,156 over their lifetime, according to a new survey.

But nine out of ten say they have items in their wardrobe which they simply never wear.

A quarter say they feel so guilty that they felt they had to conceal new purchases from their partners or even lied about the cost.

But if you think spending is getting out of hand in York, Leeds is even more spendthrift, with an average spend per month of £122 and an extra £7,000 being spent over an average woman's lifetime.

The survey of women shoppers' habits has been conducted by Churchill Home Insurance as part of an ongoing study of the value of the nation's home contents.

Martin Scott, Churchill's Head of Home Insurance, said clothes were a good example of where people accumulated a considerable amount of monetary value in home contents over the years.

"Homeowners should always try and keep tabs on how much their belongings are worth in order to get the right level of insurance cover."

The survey reveals that, from the age of 14, York women spend an average of £113 a month on the latest shoes, clothes and accessories.

They estimated their wardrobe's value at about £1,737, but claimed they only wore 40 per cent of their clothes.

Media psychotherapist and life coach, Christine Webber said that while shopping was not the sole preserve of the female, it was certainly true that they shopped more on impulse than men.

"They also spend in a bid to cheer themselves up or to boost their self-esteem.

"Nowadays, most women earn their own money - and in many households they are in fact the major breadwinner. And yet, they frequently feel guilty about shopping for themselves. This is why they often hide purchases for a while before owning up to having bought them," said Webber.

The survey also found:

The majority of York women say they go shopping on a fortnightly basis, a quarter (24 per cent) admits to going spending on a monthly basis, and a further 13 per cent go fortnightly

York women's number one shopping vice is tops (41 per cent), followed by shoes (30 per cent) and trousers (18 per cent), whereas women in Leeds are more likely to plump for underwear

24 per cent of York women rely on gifts from friends and family to keep their wardrobe up to date.

:: So are the survey findings true? Mike Laycock spoke to women shoppers in York city centre to find if they really spend that much money.

Ida Goodwin, of Wilberfoss, said she had just spent £150 on clothes, but she only went out clothes shopping perhaps three times a year. "I don't spend that much," she said. "I think it may be younger people."

Claire Whitehead, of Hull, said: "I suppose if I went out and bought a special dress for an evening out, it might be three or four months at one go." But she said she never hid what she had spent from her husband.

Angela King, of York, said the survey findings definitely did not reflect her spending. "I have never spent that much on clothes," she said.

Christine Eades, of Wakefield, said she couldn't afford to spend the £113 on clothing. "Maybe younger people living at home with their parents can afford to spend that much," she said.

Updated: 10:28 Thursday, January 06, 2005