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Following a long-running run on the Las Vegas strip, the dancers from the revue Jubilee! executed their last choreographed kick in 2016. The production, known for its ornate costumes crafted by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to declining audience numbers and disappointed reviewers who described it as a spectacle “trapped in time”.

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

The King of Sparkle

Referred to as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glitz his trademark look, outfitting everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna. In a recent auction, a “naked” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, far exceeding its projected value, while a silver and gold beaded bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more appealing for the new generation of stars who is desiring something other than what they were accustomed to”, he stated in an interview with a media outlet. “Contemporary performers are pushing toward a show-stopping, more spectacular, breathtaking, entrance-making statement.”

The Pop Culture Revival

It’s a look that glided all the way to the heart of popular culture in 2025 largely due to a global pop icon. Recently, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The crystal-covered bra and thong, feathered armbands and shimmering headpiece were tailor-made for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift has company. This year, showgirl inspirations have been incorporated by singers including Miley Cyrus as they whizzed across concert platforms in glitter, cut-outs and feathers, spotlighted against theatrical sets. Her fashion curator her creative director explained to Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the 50s, her performers waved giant plumed accessories.

Pulling from Tradition

Modern stars and other chart toppers also draw on classic entertainment forms, including vaudeville and ensemble references. The results are poles apart from the late-century pop style of revealing tops and utilitarian trousers, and street-style dance moves that came before them.

But some critics are enthusiastic with this glamour resurgence. Nancy Hardy, a former Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the 00s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “employed as an catch-all phrase including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even Taylor Swift.”

A Highly Sought-After Vintage Style

For gen Z and modern stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, Zendaya gave a nod to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the star wore a translucent beaded dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, a singer paid an private amount to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn earlier in the year to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a collection of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among collectors.

“This style bring about a sense of longing for a historical elegance,” says a historian, head of special collections at the an academic institution, who documents the history of showgirls. “Today it is considered a sort of ‘toned-down’ appeal because it has been updated. It has got all the elegance, the sparkles and the sparkle but without the nudity.”

A Than Just Style: An Symbol of Las Vegas

The expert says the showgirl image are integral to the identity of Las Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was accompanied by two showgirls. While Las Vegas does not host any traditional showgirl productions, the historian says they are still used as an symbol of the city, appearing at conventions and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a lasting figure of Vegas glamour,” the expert says.

The Appeal of Escape

The former showgirl says the magical transformation of a showgirl persona is part of the attraction. This idea Swift references in a recent documentary series that captures the off-camera action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling preparations, gym sessions and 149 performances across 21 countries, each lasting 3.5 hours.

The performer recalls her own nights in the spotlight as “like extreme physical exertion in stilettos every night”. Her headdress was 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the steps to the stage from the backstage area three floors below in the basement. I had to leave early for my moment so I could recover before I made my entrance. You are sweating the whole time but crafting this illusion that it’s simple and gorgeous and ethereal.”

It could be this is where the true allure of the showgirl really lies. In the busyness of 2025 there is a craving for a break from reality. Is there anyone better to turn to than showgirls, who have always personified dreams, idealism and a realm where nobody misses a mark.