The tapestry...

Society builds and society destroys. It created Belinda and then destroyed her. To maintain her status and power at Hampton Court, Belinda had to conform to the accepted view of how women should be. They had to be beautiful, witty but not necessarily smart, influential, kind, and unoffensive.

"Her lively Looks a sprightly Mind disclose,

Quick as her Eyes, and as unfix'd as those:
Favours to none, to all she Smiles extends,
Oft she rejects, but never once offends.
Bright as the Sun, her Eyes the Gazers strike,
And, like the sun, they shine on all alike.
Yet graceful Ease, and Sweetness void of Pride,
Might hide her Faults, if Belles had faults to hide:
If to her share some Female Errors fall,
Look on her Face, and you'll forget 'em all."

Basically, women had to be a doormat which men could wipe their feet on whenever and however they so desired. Belinda's life was like a tapestry, with the main thread being society. The moment that thread pulls on the tapestry, such as when the locks are cut, she spins out of control and becomes a mess. She bemoans having ever come into society, saying she wishes she had lived on some lone island rather than have her beauty raped by a man. Frankly, I agree with her. Who wants to be done in by someone greedy for good looks?

I think Pope is making a comment on how horrible society had become that its women idealize their hair. Naught else was of as great importance or worth. It defined who and what they were and what they were able to make of themselves. Most people would say that it is ridiculous that someone would ever value their hair that much. Yet don't we still do the same thing today? If so, we obviously still haven't learned what Pope was trying to say almost three hundred years ago.