Non-stop shoppers: Credit crunch? What credit crunch? A survey published by Elle magazine last week found that one-third of women admitted their clothes shopping habits had been unaffected by rising inflation, high fuel bills and the credit crunch.

The online poll of 4,000 women found that 70 per cent thought about buying new clothes "nearly every day", while 25 per cent said they spent between £25 (€32) and £100 (€128) a month on shoes alone. The same number said they hid new purchases from their partners.