A woman’s appearance functions as invested capital whose loss is catastrophic
Evidence
But none of these precautions prevents the appearance of gray hair and crow’s-feet. Starting from youth, woman knows this destiny is inevitable. And, regardless of her vigilance, she is a victim of accidents: a drop of wine falls on her dress, a cigarette burns it; and so the creature of luxury and parties who smilingly struts about the living room disappears: she turns into the serious and hard housewife; suddenly one discovers that her toilette was not a bouquet of flowers, fireworks, a gratuitous and perishable splendor destined to generously light up an instant: it is an asset, capital, an investment, it demands sacrifices; its loss is an irreparable disaster. — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1571
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Woman is prized as yielding material that resists mastery enough to remain precious — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 376; A trustor risks loss before any payoff is realized — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 643; Woman experiences her body as both treacherous burden and prized artwork — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1762 (+2 more)
Broader Connections
- For a woman, dress functions as economic currency and social standing.
#expands(0.85) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1567 - Woman is prized as yielding material that resists mastery enough to remain precious
#expands(0.80) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 376 - Woman experiences her body as both treacherous burden and prized artwork
#expands(0.80) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1762 - A trustor risks loss before any payoff is realized
#expands(0.75) — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 643 - Women denied agency compensate through extravagant dress.
#corroborates(0.75) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 731