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Following a 31-year tenure on the iconic Vegas strip, the dancers from the revue Jubilee! executed their last synchronised kick in 2016. The show, known for its intricate costumes created by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to dwindling audience numbers and unimpressed commentators who described it as a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Now, almost a decade later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is making a comeback.

The Master of Glitz

Dubbed the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made dramatic stage sparkle his defining aesthetic, clothing everyone from Hollywood icons to Madonna. In a recent auction, a “naked” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, seven times its initial estimate, while a metallic fringed bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more appealing for the emerging artists who is seeking something other than what they grew up with”, he stated in an interview with a publication. “Contemporary performers are striving for a glamorous, more spectacular, show-stopping, memorable statement.”

The Musical Resurgence

It’s a look that made its way all the way to the heart of popular culture in 2025 thanks to a global pop icon. Recently, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The bedazzled bra and thong, ostrich-feather armbands and shimmering headpiece were ideal for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

She has company. This year, glamorous nods have been embraced by music artists including Sabrina Carpenter as they danced across arena stages in sequins, revealing designs and plumes, highlighted against theatrical sets. A top stylist Lorenzo Posocco explained to Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the 1950s, Lipa’s dancers wafted giant ostrich feather fans.

Pulling from History

Lipa, Carpenter and other chart toppers also reference classic entertainment forms, including vaudeville and dance line references. The results are poles apart from the 90s pop style of crop tops and baggy pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that came before them.

But not everyone are enthusiastic with this showgirl revival. Nancy Hardy, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the 00s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word term is being “employed as an broad label including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly today's icons.”

A Coveted Classic Look

For gen Z and young adult stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, a style icon gave a nod to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the actress wore a translucent embellished dress created by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, another pop star paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a series of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among collectors.

“The showgirl aesthetic inspire a sense of longing for a bygone era of glitz,” says a historian, a curator at the an academic institution, who studies the history of showgirls. “Now it is viewed as a sort of ‘acceptable’ appeal because it has been updated. It has got all the glamour, the sparkles and the sparkle but without the nudity.”

A Than Simply Style: An Symbol of the City

She says showgirls are central to the identity of Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was accompanied by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas no longer has any traditional showgirl productions, the historian says they are still used as an logo of the city, appearing at corporate events and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a enduring symbol of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” Chung says.

An Allure of Illusion

The former showgirl says the magical transformation of a showgirl persona is part of the appeal. It’s something Swift references in a recent docuseries that captures the behind-the-scenes action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting rehearsals, training and countless concerts across multiple nations, each going on for 3.5 hours.

Hardy explains her own showgirl performances as “comparable to extreme physical exertion in stilettos every night”. Her headpiece tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the stairs to the performance area from the dressing rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to head up ahead of time for my entrance so I could rest before I made my entrance. You’re working hard the whole time but creating this illusion that it’s effortless and beautiful and dreamlike.”

Perhaps this is where the appeal of the showgirl really is found. In the busyness of 2025 there is a desire for escapism. What better figure to emulate than showgirls, who have always embodied make-believe, flawlessness and a universe where no one falters.