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Following a 31-year run on the iconic Vegas strip, the showgirls from the revue Jubilee! gave one last choreographed kick in 2016. The production, famous for its elaborate costumes crafted by style icon Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to declining audience numbers and critical reviewers who labeled it a spectacle “trapped in time”.

Today, almost a decade later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is back.

A Master of Sequins

Dubbed the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made over-the-top showgirl glitz his trademark look, clothing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna. Earlier this month, a “see-through” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, far exceeding its estimated price, while a metallic beaded bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more attractive for the new generation of stars who is seeking something other than what they grew up with”, he explained to a publication. “New stars are embracing a show-stopping, more theatrical, attention-grabbing, grand statement.”

A Mainstream Resurgence

It’s a look that made its way all the way to the heart of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 largely due to a chart-topping superstar. In the past few months, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The bedazzled bra and thong, feathered armbands and shimmering headpiece were tailor-made for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift isn't alone. This year, showgirl inspirations have been incorporated by music artists including Dua Lipa as they zoomed across concert platforms in sequins, revealing designs and feathers, highlighted against overstated sets. Lipa’s stylist her creative director told a style publication he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the mid-century, her performers wafted giant plumed accessories.

Drawing from History

Modern stars and other chart toppers also take inspiration from 19th-century performances, including classic theater and ensemble references. The final look are vastly different from the 1990s era teen pop of crop tops and cargo pants, and street-style dance moves that preceded this trend.

But certain observers are convinced with this showgirl renaissance. A former performer, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “employed as an broad label including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even today's icons.”

A Coveted Vintage Look

For gen Z and young adult stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, Zendaya paid tribute to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actor wore a see-through sequined dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, a singer paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a trio of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among vintage enthusiasts.

“The showgirl aesthetic evoke nostalgia for a bygone era of glitz,” says an archivist, a curator at the a Las Vegas university, who studies the history of showgirls. “Now it is viewed as a sort of ‘toned-down’ sexy because it has been adapted. It has got all the sophistication, the sparkles and the shine but without the nudity.”

More Than Simply Fashion: An Symbol of Las Vegas

She says showgirls are central to the iconography of Las Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was flanked by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-centric productions, Jung says they are still employed as an logo of the city, showing up at corporate events and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a enduring symbol of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” the expert says.

An Appeal of Transformation

Nancy Hardy says the complete change of a stage character is part of the attraction. This is a notion Taylor Swift alludes to in a latest behind-the-scenes film that captures the backstage action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling practice sessions, gym sessions and countless performances across 21 countries, each going on for 3.5 hours.

She describes her own nights in the spotlight as “like running a marathon in high heels every night”. Her headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the steps to the performance area from the backstage area three floors below in the basement. I had to start early for my moment so I could catch my breath before I made my entrance. One is working hard the whole time but creating this illusion that it’s simple and beautiful and magical.”

Perhaps this is where the true allure of the showgirl really lies. In the chaos of 2025 there is a longing for a break from reality. Who better to look to than showgirls, who have always embodied fantasy, flawlessness and a world where no one misses a mark.