Companies are trying to inject fashion sense into technology and appeal to a market segment with style and buying clout -- women -- The Washington Post (NYSE:WPO) said Wednesday.

Women who have wielded serious purse-string control are buying all sorts of techno treats for themselves and their families, outspending their male counterparts, a Consumer Electronics Association survey reported.

It's not sexist marketing -- women have different preferences -- the Arlington, Va., organization said. Men prefer high-definition television while women more frequently use their cell phones and portable games.

"Women come to the table with a different sensibility when they talk about technology," the Post quoted Pat Houston, general manager of Yahoo Tech. He said women think less about the technology itself and more how the technology fist with their lifestyle.

Of course, if a black phone is all that's available, there is that "bling kit" of stick-on crystals.