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Following a 31-year tenure on the iconic Vegas strip, the performers from the production Jubilee! took a final synchronised kick in 2016. The extravaganza, known for its ornate costumes crafted by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to declining audience numbers and critical reviewers who labeled it a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Today, almost a decade later, showgirls, or at least the glamorous showgirl look, is making a comeback.

The Sultan of Glitz

Referred to as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made dramatic stage sparkle his signature style, dressing everyone from screen legends to music superstars. In a recent auction, a “see-through” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, well over its projected value, while a silver and gold tasseled bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more appealing for the new generation of stars who is seeking something other than what they knew from childhood”, he told a media outlet. “Contemporary performers are embracing a show-stopping, more dramatic, show-stopping, memorable statement.”

A Mainstream Revival

It’s a look that made its way all the way to the centre of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 propelled by a global pop icon. Recently, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The bedazzled bra and thong, plumed armbands and sparkly headpiece were ideal for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

The singer is part of a trend. This year, showgirl references have been incorporated by pop stars including Sabrina Carpenter as they danced across world tours in sparkles, revealing designs and feathers, highlighted against overstated sets. Her fashion curator her creative director explained to a style publication he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the 1950s, her performers wafted giant ostrich feather fans.

Pulling from the Past

Lipa, Carpenter and other hitmakers also take inspiration from 19th-century performances, including classic theater and dance line references. The final look are poles apart from the late-century pop style of crop tops and baggy pants, and street-style dance moves that were popular earlier.

But certain observers are enthusiastic with this glamour resurgence. Nancy Hardy, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the early 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “treated as an catch-all phrase including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently modern pop stars.”

A Highly Sought-After Retro Style

For gen Z and modern stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, Zendaya paid tribute to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the star wore a translucent beaded dress made by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, another pop star paid an significant price to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a collection of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among collectors.

“The showgirl aesthetic inspire fond memories for a bygone era of glitz,” says a historian, a curator at the an academic institution, who studies the story of showgirls. “Today it is viewed as a sort of ‘acceptable’ allure because it has been modified. It has got all the glamour, the sparkles and the glitter but without the nudity.”

A Than Just Style: An Symbol of Vegas

The expert says this figure are central to the imagery of Vegas. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was flanked by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas currently lacks any traditional showgirl productions, Chung says they are still employed as an logo of the city, appearing at corporate events and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a enduring figure of Las Vegas spectacle,” Chung says.

An Appeal of Illusion

Nancy Hardy says the transformative effect of a showgirl is part of the attraction. It’s something Swift references in a new docuseries that shows the backstage action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling rehearsals, workouts and 149 performances across 21 countries, each lasting 3.5 hours.

Hardy explains her own nights in the spotlight as “similar to running a marathon in high heels every night”. Her feathered headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the steps to the stage from the backstage area three floors below in the basement. I had to start early for my moment so I could rest before I made my entrance. You are working hard the whole time but maintaining this illusion that it’s effortless and beautiful and ethereal.”

Perhaps this is where the fascination of the showgirl fantasy really is found. In the complexity of 2025 there is a longing for escapism. Who better to emulate than these performers, who have always embodied dreams, flawlessness and a world where no one makes a mistake.