London, UK, September 20, 2008 - With research out today revealing women across the country rate their handbag more important then their car, friends and even boyfriend, we really do have a love affair with our bags! According to a new survey by handbag.com, the designer handbag is the ultimate 21st century object of desire, not just for supermodels and celebrities, but for women from all walks of life too.
The survey commissioned by handbag.com, highlights that despite the credit crunch women across the UK still have a healthy appetite for designer luxury handbags. The new findings reveal that a quarter of all women surveyed think nothing of spending up to 500 on a handbag, while 5% of women would happily spend up to 1000 on a must have designer bag, it appears that while we are downsizing our houses, we will not be sacrificing our handbags.

Belinda White, Fashion Director at handbag.com, says: "Now that celebrities are fashion icons it follows that people want what they've got. When they see Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jennifer Connelly carrying the new Maze bag from Smythson they want it too, even if it is 775. If they can't stretch to the real thing they'll scour the highstreet until they find a look alike."

So with an abundance of beautiful designer handbags out there, which bags scored highest as our 'dream, if money was no object' bag? Coming out on top with 18% and costing 780 is the Chloe Paddington closely followed by:
• Chanel 2.55 (16%)
• Mulberry Bayswater (14%)
• Hermes Birkin (11%)
• Marc Jacobs Stam (10%)


So to help handbag lovers across the country keep on top of handbag fashion, handbag.com is holding a dedicated handbag month throughout September, offering a different bag up for grabs every day from high-end designer such as Chloe and Lulu Guinness to hot high street fashion bags from Accessorize and Warehouse.

And for those of you who have always dreamt of owning your own celebrity handbag, handbag.com has teamed up with Cancer Research UK to launch Handbag Amnesty, the celebrity handbag auction. Bags have been donated from celebrity icons; Scarlett Johansson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Keira Knightley, Geri Halliwell, Shirley Bassey and Annie Lennox to name just a few. The bags will be auctioned on eBay from Friday 3rd - Tuesday 14th October to tie in with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Open to everyone, all proceeds will go to Cancer Research UK, the largest single funder of research into breast cancer, one of the most common cancers in the UK.

For your chance to win one of the bags on offer through handbag month or to take place in the celebrity auction all details can be found on http://www.handbag.com/handbagmonth
, so give it a go...

Other interesting handbag findings include:
• 28% of women would rather have a new designer handbag then a romantic weekend away
• One third of women surveyed own between 5 and 10 bags
• One in ten women own up to 20 bags
• One in five women buy up to 10 bags a year
• One in ten woman change their bag like their underwear, changing it daily
 

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