Women's behavior changes during the fertile phase of their cycle in ways that may attract men.

Women are more interested in designer label clothing and accessories when fertile.

This pattern only emerges when women judge items for themselves, not for other women.

Desire for luxury goods may be part of a two-stage tactic of attracting high-quality partners.

Evolutionary psychologists have long been interested in the connection between fertility and behavior. Many studies have shown that during the most fertile phase of the ovulatory cycle (the few days after ovulation), women behave in ways that appear likely to increase their success in the mating market.

Women are judged more physically attractive when fertile. This may be because of physical changes (for example, psychologists have tested whether a woman’s position in her cycle affects her skin color and even her breast symmetry) or because of differences in what is sometimes called ornamentation: the clothes and accessories a woman chooses to wear. In fact, researchers have shown that when most fertile, women tend to prefer to wear more revealing clothing.

But clothing can appeal to potential partners for reasons other than how much skin it reveals. Recently, a team of consumer and management psychologists from the U.S. and South Korea, led by Aekyoung Kim of Jeonbuk National University, set out to discover whether hormonal fluctuations associated with fertility affect women’s desire for luxury clothing brands.

The psychologists acknowledge that their investigation may seem counterintuitive given........

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