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Following a 31-year run on the iconic Vegas strip, the dancers from the revue Jubilee! gave one last synchronised kick in 2016. The show, renowned for its elaborate costumes crafted by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to dwindling audience numbers and unimpressed critics who called it a spectacle “stuck in the past”.

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

The King of Sparkle

Dubbed the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made dramatic showgirl glitz his trademark look, outfitting everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna. Earlier this month, a “see-through” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, well over its initial estimate, 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 think it looks more attractive for the younger performer who is desiring something other than what they knew from childhood”, he explained to a newspaper. “Contemporary performers are striving for a show-stopping, more theatrical, show-stopping, memorable statement.”

The Musical Resurgence

It’s a look that made its way all the way to the centre of mainstream fashion in 2025 thanks to a chart-topping superstar. In the past few months, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, feathered armbands and glittering headpiece were ideal for a record called The Life of a Showgirl.

The singer isn't alone. This year, showgirl references have been adopted by singers including Sabrina Carpenter as they danced across world tours in glitter, revealing designs and plumes, illuminated against theatrical sets. A top stylist a fashion expert mentioned in an interview with Vogue he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the 1950s, her performers waved giant feathered fans.

Drawing from the Past

These artists and other successful musicians also draw on historical entertainment forms, including burlesque and chorus line references. The results are worlds away from the 1990s era Britney Spears era of revealing tops and cargo pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that preceded this trend.

But not everyone are convinced with this showgirl renaissance. An ex-showgirl, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the early 2000s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word term is being “used as an umbrella term encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even Taylor Swift.”

A Coveted Classic Look

For gen Z and modern stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, Zendaya honored to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the star wore a see-through sequined dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, another pop star paid an significant price to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a trio of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among fashion collectors.

“The showgirl aesthetic evoke fond memories for a past glamour,” says Su Kim Chung, a curator at the an academic institution, who studies the legacy of showgirls. “Currently it is considered a sort of ‘safe’ allure because it has been adapted. It has got all the sophistication, the rhinestones and the shine but without the exposure.”

More Than Simply Fashion: An Symbol of Vegas

Chung says the showgirl image are central to the imagery of Las Vegas. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was flanked by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-based productions, Chung says they are still featured as an emblem of the city, being present at gatherings and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a enduring figure of Vegas glitz and glamour,” the expert says.

An Appeal of Illusion

Nancy Hardy says the complete change of a showgirl persona is part of the attraction. It’s something Swift alludes to in a recent documentary series that captures the behind-the-scenes action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, workouts and numerous performances across dozens of cities, each going on for 3.5 hours.

Hardy recalls her own nights in the spotlight as “comparable to extreme physical exertion in high heels every night”. Her headdress tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the steps to the stage from the green rooms three floors below in the underground. I had to head up ahead of time for my moment so I could rest before I performed. You’re perspiring the whole time but maintaining this image that it’s effortless and gorgeous and magical.”

It could be this is where the fascination of the showgirl really is found. In the chaos of 2025 there is a craving for fantasy. Is there anyone better to emulate than such icons, who have always represented fantasy, perfection and a universe where nobody misses a mark.