LOOKING good isn't just about slimming down anymore. It's about the whole package. The hair, the tan, the nails and especially the clothes. It doesn't matter what your weight is, just the weight of your wallet.

Women are splashing out hundreds and sometimes even thousands of pounds a year on grooming themselves, often getting into incredible amounts of debt in the process.

In the past year, women collectively splashed out £4.3bn on their credit cards, that's an average of £713 each, trying to emulate their favourite celebrities.

Women in the West Midlands were the biggest spenders, putting an average of £1,840 on their credit cards as they tried to copy celebrities' style.

The money is being spent on designer accessories, fake tans and hair extensions, a trend dubbed "celebrity spending".

In a recent survey by Virgin Money, three-quarters of women admitted they felt under pressure to have the perfect figures, immaculate grooming and expensive wardrobes flaunted by actresses and models.

It also found that women were more obsessed with celebrities' images than with their lifestyle, with 24 per cent saying they would most like to have their idol's figure and wardrobe, compared with just 11 per cent who would want their job and 4 per cent who would want their fame.

A snapshot of women in Worcestershire showed that they spend an average of £150 a month on clothes, cosmetics and hair.

"I would say I spend about £100 a month on clothes and about £200 a year on cosmetics. My hair costs me about £75 to get done," said Anne Foord, a housewife from Broadwas.

Mrs Foord, aged 53, said that most of her purchases were made on her credit card.

And company director Panthea Chatterton, 39, of Severn Stoke, said that she stacked up almost £1,200 a month on her credit card, which also included groceries.

"There is a certain pressure to look good and have nice things. I think most women do feel that. When you see pictures of celebrities in magazines often you think 'I'd like to look like that'," she said.

But Worcestershire women say that, despite their spending sprees, they are sensible spenders, not tending to spend beyond their means.

Sixteen-year-old Connie Dowler, of St John's, said she often spent up to £200 a month on clothes and cosmetics - but only if she could afford it.

"I only spend money I've got. I don't get myself into any debt over it. But I do like to buy clothes and to look good," she said.

In the Virgin Money survey, two-thirds of women admitted they would often hide their purchases from their partners and lie to family and friends about how much they had spent.

"I have lied before about how much I have spent," Selina Davis, from Rous Lench, near Evesham, said. "I think most women probably have at some point. I guess you feel a bit guilty for spending so much and try to play it down."

Almost all women surveyed- and quizzed by the Evening News - spoke to said that most of their inspiration for the way they, and their homes, looked came from magazines.

"It seems that women today now feel pressured into spending more and more money in a bid to match the glamorous images they're constantly exposed to in the media," Jason Wyer-Smith, of Virgin Money, said.

"But, unfortunately, we don't all earn a Hollywood pay-packet, so, while it's nice to treat ourselves, we should remember to live, and look good, within our means."

The research also found that the trend was beginning to spread to men, with 23 per cent saying they envied David Beckham's image, while 22 per cent said they would like to have a celebrity's physique, compared with 10 per cent who wanted their ability to attract women.