Jo Weldon

https://lithub.com/who-decides-whats-tacky-anyway/
While Americans in the 1970s didn’t invent bad taste, they came gloriously close to perfecting it. After the disappointments and tragedies of the post-war era—Kennedy’s assassination; civil rights violence; the Vietnam War; and, early in the decade, Nixon’s resignation—they were ready to have fun, whether or not it was a good idea. Cars were huge, hair was expanding, and double-knit polyester bell-bottomed pantsuits were taking over. So many things were happening in fashion that even venerable Vogue magazine threw up its hands and declared that there were no longer any rules.

Despite the best efforts of the era’s high-fashion designers, the 1970s have remained the source of much tacky nostalgia. Tacky, as time has proven by the affection people continue to have for it, is often where the imagination runs free, where the heart is, where the soul is, and where the fun is.

Jo Weldon
Jo Weldon is an expert in the study of contemporary burlesque, women’s issues, and fashion. Her writings and transcripts of lectures on the history of leopard print have been published in Mental Floss, Time Out New York, and the New York Times. As headmistress of the New York School of Burlesque, she teaches weekly classes and tours internationally, teaching and performing. Weldon combines years of professional experience as an adult entertainer with a deep understanding of women’s issues. She has presented media analyses of women’s rights in conferences around the country and lobbied at the U.N. for inclusion of diverse perspectives in human rights initiatives. Fierce: The History of Leopard Print is out now.