Beauty For Regular People
You don't have to be a supermodel to have beauty. Smart article by Catherine Hakim about Christine Lagarde, who's taken over the IMF:
As it happens, Ms. Lagarde is also very attractive and stylish. Vanity Fair just named her to its best-dressed list, along with the likes of Kate Middleton and Lady Gaga. A synchronized swimmer in her youth, she works hard to stay fit and has paid tribute to her mother for teaching her to present herself with classic French eclat.Ms. Lagarde possesses an abundance of what I call "erotic capital," and she has used it knowingly and to great advantage.
Women in the U.S., Britain and other outposts of the Anglo-Saxon world tend, by contrast, to resist the idea that their physical appearance should matter to their professional advancement. In our age of feminism and meritocracy, women who emphasize their looks are thought to be superficial; it somehow seems like cheating.
But do we have this all wrong?
Beauty is not limited to supermodels and A-list celebrities. It can be achieved by wearing flattering styles, getting in shape, improving posture and putting some effort into choosing clothing and hairstyles.
And erotic capital is not just about physical attractiveness. It also encompasses personality, charm, liveliness, social energy and the ability to make people feel at ease and want to know you. It is not about flaunting your sexuality at the office by showing more cleavage and wearing tight pants.
> It is not about flaunting your sexuality at the
> office by showing more cleavage and wearing
> tight pants.
Oh yeah? Says who?
Are women who do that, y'know, disqualified or something? Do they lose their merit badges?
This kind of thinking has much more to do with the next post that you'd want to concede. It's precisely in line with the daydreams coddled "feminists"* have about everyone being comfy and unthreatening.
We just do not get to choose what the sexuality of second parties means to third, fourth and fifth parties. I've known a number of women who've used these powers to establish themselves in permanent positions of authority and fulfillment, blending personal and professional interests as they saw fit.
That's how it works. Complaining about is idiocy... Whining, or trying to constrain these forces, is the antithesis of savvy.
People want what they want.
_______________________
*I hate irony irony quotes, but the kind of bloodless spirits who dream up these things are to isolated to be seriously concerned with what happens to other women.
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at September 5, 2011 11:29 PM
I prefer cultivating a personality that makes people NOT want to get to know me. You can keep your "erotic capital," I'd just as soon not have total strangers trying to chat me up and trying to learn about me. I'm perfectly fine with people feeling at ease. As long as they're talking to someone else.
Patrick at September 5, 2011 11:48 PM
It's fine to look good, but if you're creating a culture where people hire people because they are sexy rather than talented, you're going to end up with a lot of crap.
Of course, if you're already talented, then being sexy on top of it is icing on the cake!
NicoleK at September 6, 2011 5:39 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/09/06/erotic_capital_1.html#comment-2461835">comment from NicoleKI would suspect there's a whole lot less frivolous hiring these days, thanks to the way the economy is -- just the way first-class plane travel is a thing of the past for many of those producing commercials, according to a guy I spoke with at my writing cafe last week. During my brief foray in the business, right out of college, producing commercials for Ogilvy & Mather, producers typically flew first class and stayed in pricey hotels like The Sunset Marquis.
Amy Alkon
at September 6, 2011 5:58 AM
> I would suspect there's a whole lot less
> frivolous hiring these day
See, I think even that's going to far. As a rule, when a boss hires someone for a job, it's because that's who they want to hire. Motivations of others are a wonderful source of gossip, but only that. You may think the new Southeast District Sales Manager is a brazen hussy who only got the gig because of her tanned, athletic, crush-your-head-like-an-eggshell thighs... But so what?
I think the only helpful approach to this is to be ferociously real about it... Radically stoic.
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at September 6, 2011 9:33 AM
Sure, there are situations where merely having boobs and a great butt will take you pretty far. But when you get right down to it, looking good is more than obvious secondary sex characteristics.
A great deal of looking good is paying attention to looking good, color, line, discipline and attitude. And a great deal of not looking good is frequently just being sloppy and careless.
Have you noticed how it's generally sloppy, careless people who feel we should "take them as they are?"
Walt at September 6, 2011 9:49 AM
That's kinda harsh
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at September 6, 2011 10:02 AM
I wonder how far Sarah Palin would get if she looked like Madeline Albright... We are becoming more of an image driven society, whether it's politics, sports, or entertainment.
How many times have we heard that Rick Perry "looks" more presidential than Mitt Romney? (that's rhetorical, btw.)
Eric at September 6, 2011 10:41 AM
Well, yeah, Walt, because we ALREADY take good-looking people as they are, so the non-good-looking are all "Me too! Take me toooooo!!!!!!!!"
NicoleK at September 6, 2011 10:54 AM
are becoming? Look up the debates between Nixon and Kennedy.
brian at September 6, 2011 12:29 PM
Not only that, Brian, but we've been this way for much longer. Look at Warren G. Harding, a handsome man by the standards of the day, and it just so happens that he was elected in the very first election in which women could vote.
God knows, he didn't have anything else going for him.
Patrick at September 6, 2011 12:38 PM
From what I have seen there are primarily three groups.
1. The extremely attractive
2. The middle/avg folk
3. The extremely unattractive
Being in group 1 gives you a big advantage, 3 somewhat of a disadvantage. Clothes, posture etc cannot move someone much on that. Borderline then maybe you can change. I-shapeness affects more, but really only brigs you down. If you are 1 and gain weight maybe you become a 2. If you are an overwieght 2 and loose weight, you are probably still a 2.
And a seperate point, why are mens clothing so uniform. There is little variance for fit. If I want my clothes to fit good, they always have to be significantly tailored.
The Former Banker at September 6, 2011 8:42 PM
I'd rather see cleavage than 'crazy ears' any day.
Strolling the outdoor mall in uber-lib Santa Cruz this past weekend, I walked in, then walked out of a shop on sight of the employee with the most humungous lobe gauging I've ever seen. So sorry, but such prolific disfigurement kills any spending incentive. Ga-Ross!
Ya, I'm over 40, and remember rotary dial phones. So what?
I love the term 'erotic capital', btw.
Tru at September 6, 2011 9:16 PM
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