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After a three-decade tenure on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the showgirls from the spectacle Jubilee! gave one last synchronised kick in 2016. The production, known for its intricate costumes created by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to dwindling audience numbers and unimpressed reviewers who described it as a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Currently, roughly eight years later, the showgirl, or at least the glamorous showgirl look, is back.

The King of Glitz

Referred to as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made theatrical stage sparkle his trademark look, outfitting everyone from screen legends to pop royalty. Earlier this month, a “barely-there” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, far exceeding its initial estimate, while a shimmering beaded bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie designed 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 knew from childhood”, he stated in an interview with a media outlet. “Contemporary performers are embracing a show-stopping, more theatrical, breathtaking, entrance-making statement.”

The Musical Revival

It’s a look that glided all the way to the heart of mainstream fashion in 2025 propelled by a chart-topping superstar. Recently, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, feathered armbands and glittering headpiece were ideal for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift has company. This year, glamorous nods have been incorporated by pop stars including Dua Lipa as they whizzed across arena stages in sparkles, cut-outs and plumes, highlighted against theatrical sets. Lipa’s stylist her creative director told Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the mid-century, Lipa’s dancers waved giant feathered fans.

Drawing from History

Modern stars and other chart toppers also draw on 19th-century entertainment forms, including classic theater and chorus line references. The outcome are worlds away from the 1990s era pop style of short shirts and utilitarian trousers, and street-style dance moves that came before them.

But not everyone are enthusiastic with this showgirl revival. A former performer, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the 2000s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “employed as an umbrella term including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently modern pop stars.”

A Coveted Retro Style

For gen Z and millennial stars, Mackie’s vintage designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, a style icon gave a nod to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the actress wore a see-through embellished dress made by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, another pop star 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 series of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among collectors.

“The showgirl aesthetic inspire nostalgia for a historical elegance,” says Su Kim Chung, head of special collections at the a Las Vegas university, who researches the legacy of showgirls. “Now it is considered a sort of ‘toned-down’ allure because it has been modified. It has got all the glamour, the rhinestones and the shine but without the exposure.”

A Than Just Style: An Icon of the City

She says showgirls are key to the imagery of Las Vegas. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was accompanied by two showgirls. While Las Vegas currently lacks any traditional showgirl productions, Jung says they are still employed as an emblem of the city, being present at gatherings and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a lasting symbol of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” she says.

An Appeal of Transformation

Hardy says the complete change of a stage character is part of the allure. This is a notion Taylor Swift alludes to in a recent documentary series that shows the backstage action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling preparations, workouts and numerous shows across 21 countries, each lasting 3.5 hours.

Hardy recalls her own showgirl performances as “similar to completing an endurance race in stilettos every night”. Her headpiece was 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the stairs to the stage from the dressing rooms three floors below in the underground. I had to head up ahead of time for my moment so I could catch my breath before I made my entrance. You are perspiring the whole time but creating this illusion that it’s easy and beautiful and dreamlike.”

Perhaps this is where the true allure of the showgirl fantasy really resides. In the chaos of 2025 there is a desire for a break from reality. Who better to turn to than showgirls, who have always personified make-believe, flawlessness and a realm where no one misses a mark.