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Following a three-decade stint on the Las Vegas strip, the performers from the spectacle Jubilee! took a final synchronised kick in 2016. The extravaganza, famous for its ornate costumes designed by style icon Bob Mackie, came to an end due to dwindling audience numbers and disappointed commentators who called it a spectacle “trapped in time”.

Now, nearly ten years later, the showgirl, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is back.

A King of Glitz

Referred to as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made dramatic stage sparkle his signature style, outfitting everyone from screen legends to pop royalty. Recently, a “see-through” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, far exceeding its initial estimate, while a metallic beaded bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“I think it looks more appealing for the younger performer who is looking for something other than what they knew from childhood”, he explained to a publication. “Today's artists are striving for a show-stopping, more dramatic, attention-grabbing, memorable statement.”

The Pop Culture Revival

It’s a look that made its way all the way to the epicenter of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 thanks to a chart-topping superstar. Recently, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, plumed armbands and sparkly headpiece were tailor-made for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

She has company. This year, showgirl references have been embraced by singers including Sabrina Carpenter as they zoomed across arena stages in sequins, strategic openings and feathers, highlighted against theatrical sets. Her fashion curator her creative director explained to a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the 50s, her performers waved giant feathered fans.

Pulling from History

These artists and other hitmakers also take inspiration from 19th-century entertainment forms, including classic theater and dance line references. The results are worlds away from the 90s pop style of revealing tops and baggy pants, and urban dance moves that came before them.

But some critics are convinced with this showgirl renaissance. Nancy Hardy, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the early 2000s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word term is being “treated as an catch-all phrase including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even Taylor Swift.”

A Highly Sought-After Retro Style

For gen Z and young adult stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, a style icon paid tribute to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the actress wore a semi-sheer embellished dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, another pop star paid an significant price to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a collection of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among vintage enthusiasts.

“Showgirls bring about nostalgia for a historical elegance,” says an archivist, a curator at the an academic institution, who documents the story of showgirls. “Currently it is considered a sort of ‘acceptable’ appeal because it has been modified. It has got all the elegance, the rhinestones and the glitter but without the nudity.”

More Than Just Fashion: An Symbol of the City

Chung says the showgirl image are integral to the iconography of Las Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was flanked by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas does not host any showgirl-based productions, the historian says they are still featured as an logo of the city, being present at conventions and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a remaining figure of Vegas glamour,” Chung says.

The Allure of Transformation

Nancy Hardy says the transformative effect of a showgirl persona is part of the attraction. This idea Swift references in a latest docuseries that captures the backstage action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense preparations, workouts and countless performances across multiple nations, each going on for 3.5 hours.

The performer describes her own stage routines as “similar to running a marathon in high heels every night”. Her headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the stairs to the stage from the green rooms three floors below in the underground. I had to start early for my cue so I could catch my breath before I performed. You’re working hard the whole time but creating this image that it’s simple and stunning and ethereal.”

Maybe this is where the fascination of the showgirl really resides. In the complexity of 2025 there is a desire for escapism. Who better to emulate than showgirls, who have always personified dreams, flawlessness and a world where nobody falters.