jolie laide

/ ʒɔli lɛd /

noun

1. a woman whose ugliness forms her chief fascination

Word History and Origins

Origin of jolie laide¹

literally: pretty (attractive) ugly woman

Example Sentences

In its marketing, Gucci embraced ugly ducklings, the jolie laide and the faces only a mother could love — decisions that influenced other brands to follow this path and to break down barriers.

From Washington Post

But, according to Ms. Weingarten, the dark circles phenomenon is distinct from unconventional beauty trends, including the French concept of “jolie laide,” which refers to attractiveness that is aided by imperfections, flaws or uncommon features.

From New York Times

Much like the jolie laide color-blocked suiting and shift dresses he became known for, each of the 15 pieces in his debut collection of furniture, called Saunders, are experiments in color theory and geometry.

From New York Times

Artist duo Lazy Mom and photographer Joseph Maida both use gelatin in their jolie laide subversions of Instagram aesthetics.

From The Guardian

You might call them jolie laide.

From The New Yorker