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After a 31-year stint on the iconic Vegas strip, the showgirls from the production Jubilee! took a final choreographed kick in 2016. The show, known for its intricate costumes created by style icon Bob Mackie, came to an end due to dwindling audience numbers and unimpressed reviewers who labeled it a spectacle “trapped in time”.

Today, almost a decade later, the showgirl, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is experiencing a revival.

A Sultan of Glitz

Known as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glamour his defining aesthetic, clothing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to pop royalty. Earlier this month, a “barely-there” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, far exceeding its estimated price, while a silver and gold fringed bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more enticing for the younger performer who is looking for something other than what they grew up with”, he told a newspaper. “Today's artists are pushing toward a theatrical, more dramatic, breathtaking, entrance-making statement.”

The Mainstream Revival

It’s a look that made its way all the way to the epicenter of mainstream fashion in 2025 largely due to a chart-topping superstar. Recently, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The crystal-covered bra and thong, plumed armbands and sparkly headpiece were perfect for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

The singer isn't alone. This year, glamorous nods have been adopted by pop stars including Sabrina Carpenter as they whizzed across arena stages in sequins, strategic openings and ostrich feathers, spotlighted against overstated sets. A top stylist Lorenzo Posocco told a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the 1950s, Lipa’s dancers waved giant plumed accessories.

Pulling from the Past

Lipa, Carpenter and other hitmakers also reference historical performances, including vaudeville and ensemble references. The results are worlds away from the late-century Britney Spears era of short shirts and utilitarian trousers, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that came before them.

But not everyone are enthusiastic with this glamour resurgence. A former performer, a former Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the early 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “used as an broad label including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly Taylor Swift.”

A Highly Sought-After Vintage Look

For gen Z and millennial stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, a famous actress gave a nod to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the actor wore a semi-sheer beaded dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, Miley Cyrus paid an significant price to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn earlier in the year to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a trio of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among fashion collectors.

“The showgirl aesthetic inspire fond memories for a past glamour,” says an archivist, an expert at the an academic institution, who studies the legacy of showgirls. “Currently it is viewed as a sort of ‘safe’ allure because it has been adapted. It has got all the sophistication, the crystals and the glitter but without the nudity.”

More Than Simply Fashion: An Symbol of Las Vegas

The expert says this figure are integral to the identity of Las Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was surrounded by two showgirls. While Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-centric productions, Chung says they are still used as an emblem of the city, appearing at corporate events and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a lasting figure of Las Vegas spectacle,” the expert says.

The Appeal of Illusion

Nancy Hardy says the complete change of a showgirl is part of the appeal. This idea Swift references in a recent documentary series that shows the behind-the-scenes action from her year-long 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, workouts and 149 performances across dozens of cities, each running for 3.5 hours.

The performer describes her own nights in the spotlight as “comparable to completing an endurance race in stilettos every night”. Her headpiece tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the stairs to the performance area from the green rooms three floors below in the underground. I had to head up ahead of time for my moment so I could catch my breath before I went on stage. You are working hard the whole time but maintaining this illusion that it’s easy and gorgeous and magical.”

It could be this is where the appeal of the showgirl really resides. In the chaos of 2025 there is a desire for fantasy. Is there anyone better to look to than showgirls, who have always represented dreams, perfection and a world where no one falters.