Nicole Kidman Takes The Credit When It Comes To Idol Shopping

2004

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Nicole Kidman Takes The Credit When It Comes To Idol Shopping

Sun Herald

Sunday July 24, 2005

By HOLLY BYRNES STYLE WRITER

NEED someone to blame when your next credit card bill comes in, ladies?

Then look no further than Nicole Kidman, who has been named and shamed for inspiring the overspending habits of credit-card-carrying Australian women, a survey has found.

A Newspoll study has revealed Kidman as the No. 1 celebrity influence on local women, who charged $1000 a year, on average, to their plastic in an effort to look and dress like her.

The telephone survey of 463 Australian women aged 18 to 59 found 69 per cent felt they were expected to match the ideal figures, expensive grooming and wardrobes of today's celebrities.

Twenty-six per cent voted Kidman's style as the biggest influence on their big spending, while Jennifer Aniston (13 per cent), Sarah Jessica Parker (11 per cent) and Delta Goodrem (10 per cent) also rated in the credit-card debt ratings.

Kylie Minogue (5 per cent), Paris Hilton (3 per cent) and Victoria Beckham (3 per cent) were the least favourite.

Kidman last year pocketed about $5 million as the face of Chanel's famous No. 5 fragrance.

In turn, Australian women aged 18 to 34 spent $1500 a year, on average, to capture Kidman's style.

Both Goodrem and Minogue have also cashed in on the celebrity spending trend, launching their own lingerie labels, which are estimated to reap the pop singers millions each year.

Celebrity trends were putting enormous pressure on women to trade in their savings for star style, the survey found.

Despite their very different lifestyles and budgets the average Australian woman put the extra expense on her credit card to keep up with her idols.

Hairstyling and extensions topped the shopping list, followed by designer clothes, accessories and beauty treatments.

"The cult of celebrity is placing huge pressure on today's women to spend money copying the glamorous images we're constantly exposed to," said Kirsty Lamont, a spokeswoman for Virgin Money, which commissioned the survey.

"Celebrity chic isn't cheap and more and more women are trading in their savings for the pursuit of superstar style," Ms Lamont said.

Young women and mothers felt the most pressure to conform, with more women, given the choice, opting for their idol's figure and wardrobe over their fame and career.

Women in NSW and Tasmania set the standard for celebrity splurges, racking up more than $100 a month.

But their regional sisters were not particularly influenced by celebrity chic, spending less than $50 a month.

The biggest spenders were aged 18 to 34, who plunged $1500 on average each year on credit, with one in 10 spending more than $300 a month, or $3600 annually on celebrity fashions.

ABS 2001 figures show Australian women splurged more than $10 billion on cosmetics, apparel and grooming services.

JUST WHO IS UNDER THE INFLUENCE?

Australian women are going into debt to look like their favourite stars:

* A Newspoll study surveyed 463 Australian women aged 18 to 59, with the 18- to 34-year-olds proving to be the biggest celebrity spenders.

* Nicole Kidman tops the list of celebrity image idols, with 26 per cent of women spending $1000 a year on average to look like the Oscar winner.

* She may be Posh Spice but her style comes cheap, with just 3 per cent of the survey spending up to mirror her fashions.

* Expensive haircuts and extensions, designer clothing and accessories came in ahead of gym memberships as the biggest expense on the star style shopping list.

* Young women and mothers felt the most pressure to dress like the stars with more women, given the choice, opting for their idol's figure and wardrobe over their fame and career.