A woman owns 111 handbags in the course of her lifetime!

Handbags are often looked upon as fashion accessories, but lately, they seem to be turning into more of lifestyle necessities.

London, August 31 : Handbags are often looked upon as fashion accessories, but lately, they seem to be turning into more of lifestyle necessities.

Dubbed as the 'Sienna Miller Syndrome,' the magnitude of the handbag obsession has been revealed by a new study, according to which a woman owns 111 handbags in the course of her lifetime.

The survey, carried out by Lakeside shopping centre in Essex, found that an average 30-year-old owns 21 handbags and buys a new one every three months, which totals to 111 handbags over the life span, with a total expenditure of more than 8,000 pounds.

Five per cent of those surveyed even owned up to possessing more than 100 handbags at present, with the average pay out on each handbag being 76 pounds.

The research team, which polled 1,500 shoppers about their handbags, say that the trend of carrying expensive designer brands has been popularised by celebrities like Sienna Miller and Lindsay Lohan, who sport swanky and exclusive arm accessories.

The survey also revealed that women usually use three handbags on a regular basis, changing to suit the occasion, outfit or even their mood.

Many handbags are passed down through generations, the survey found, with one in eight women owning one more than 50 years old.

The researchers say that one in three of those questioned had guilty consciences about their extreme handbag-buying habits.

When asked what was the most they had ever spent on one, the average for women in their 20s was 185 pounds, while for 30-somethings it was a 380 pounds, with designer labels Mulberry and Chloe being most popular.

When asked why women collect so many handbags, almost seven in ten said it's because "you never know what they'll go with".

One in five said that the sentimental value of their handbags stops them throwing the old ones away.

"Handbags can change your whole look and transform a plain outfit into one that's set to impress. Often women buy a new handbag to suit a certain outfit and don't want to throw it away after just one use so keep hold of it to use again one day," the Daily Mail quoted Angela Poplett. a personal shopper at Lakeside shopping centre in Essex.

"It's clear from the results of this research that British women have some sort of handbag obsession. Maggie Thatcher started the trend with her love for handbags and today's celebrities such as Sienna Miller, Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie have followed in her footsteps - so much so that I like to call this handbag obsession 'Sienna Miller Syndrome,'" she added.

ANI