Research conducted by MORE TH@N home insurance and website iVillage.co.uk revealed that the women in London are the biggest spenders on clothes, valuing the contents of their wardrobes at £3,595, followed by those in Northern Ireland who have spent around £3,338.

Researchers have also found that the contents of the average woman''s wardrobe are worth just under £3,000, with one in six women having clothes and shoes worth more than £5,000.

At the other end of the scale, women in the North East say their clothes cost just £2,517, while those in Wales have only spent slightly more at £2,636, according to MORE TH@N home insurance and website iVillage.co.uk.

A third of women questioned said they would save their shoes in a house fire before anything else, while 20% said they would rescue an expensive coat or jacket.

But, despite the value of their wardrobes, 25% of people either do not have their household contents insured or don''t know if they are covered by a policy.

A MORE TH@N spokeswoman said: "People tend to underestimate the value of their belongings, especially us women, as we are becoming a nation with a habit for spending on luxury items and fashionable clothing."

The research also found that 50% of women said they made financial decisions with their partner, while a quarter looked after their own accounts. Only 8% let their partner take care of money for them.

2,600 women responded to an Internet survey on iVillage.co.uk during July and August.