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Following a three-decade tenure on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the showgirls from the revue Jubilee! gave one last synchronised kick in 2016. The show, known for its intricate costumes created by style icon Bob Mackie, came to an end due to declining audience numbers and disappointed critics who called it a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Today, nearly ten years later, the showgirl, or at least the showgirl style, is experiencing a revival.

The Master of Sparkle

Referred to as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glamour his signature style, dressing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to pop royalty. In a recent auction, a “see-through” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, well over its estimated price, while a metallic tasseled bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more appealing for the younger performer who is seeking something other than what they knew from childhood”, he told a media outlet. “New stars are embracing a show-stopping, more dramatic, breathtaking, grand statement.”

The Pop Culture Comeback

It’s a look that made its way all the way to the centre of popular culture in 2025 largely due to Taylor Swift. Earlier this year, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The bedazzled bra and thong, feathered armbands and glittering headpiece were ideal for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift has company. This year, glamorous nods have been adopted by music artists including Sabrina Carpenter as they whizzed across arena stages in sparkles, cut-outs and feathers, spotlighted against camp sets. Lipa’s stylist a fashion expert explained to Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the 50s, Lipa’s dancers wafted giant feathered fans.

Pulling from Tradition

Modern stars and other hitmakers also draw on classic entertainment forms, including classic theater and chorus line references. The final look are vastly different from the 90s pop style of revealing tops and baggy pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that preceded this trend.

But certain observers are enthusiastic with this showgirl revival. A former performer, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the 00s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “used as an catch-all phrase encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even Taylor Swift.”

A Highly Sought-After Vintage Look

For younger and millennial stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, Zendaya honored to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actor wore a semi-sheer beaded dress created by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, Miley Cyrus paid an significant price to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn at an awards show 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 popular item among collectors.

“The showgirl aesthetic evoke fond memories for a historical elegance,” says Su Kim Chung, a curator at the an academic institution, who studies the story of showgirls. “Currently it is considered a sort of ‘toned-down’ appeal because it has been adapted. It has got all the glamour, the crystals and the sparkle but without the bare skin.”

More Than Simply Style: An Icon of Vegas

She says the showgirl image are integral to the iconography of Las Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was accompanied by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas currently lacks any showgirl-centric productions, Chung says they are still used as an emblem of the city, showing up at corporate events and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a remaining icon of Las Vegas glamour,” Chung says.

An Appeal of Illusion

The former showgirl says the complete change of a showgirl is part of the appeal. It’s something the singer alludes to in a latest docuseries that documents the off-camera action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling preparations, workouts and numerous shows across multiple nations, each running for 3.5 hours.

She explains her own stage routines as “like running a marathon in heels every night”. Her feathered headdress tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the steps to the stage from the green rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to start early for my entrance so I could catch my breath before I made my entrance. You’re sweating the whole time but crafting this illusion that it’s simple and beautiful and ethereal.”

It could be this is where the appeal of the showgirl really resides. In the busyness of 2025 there is a longing for escapism. Who better to turn to than showgirls, who have always personified make-believe, flawlessness and a world where no one makes a mistake.