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Following a three-decade run on the Las Vegas strip, the showgirls from the spectacle Jubilee! gave one last choreographed kick in 2016. The production, famous for its elaborate costumes created by style icon 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”.

Today, almost a decade later, the showgirl, or at least the showgirl style, is making a comeback.

The Master of Sequins

Dubbed the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made dramatic stage sparkle his signature style, outfitting everyone from screen legends to pop royalty. In a recent auction, a “barely-there” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, far exceeding its projected value, while a silver and gold tasseled bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more appealing for the younger performer who is seeking something other than what they were accustomed to”, he stated in an interview with a media outlet. “Contemporary performers are embracing a show-stopping, more spectacular, show-stopping, memorable statement.”

A Mainstream Resurgence

It’s a look that made its way all the way to the epicenter of mainstream fashion in 2025 propelled by a chart-topping superstar. Earlier this year, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The crystal-covered bra and thong, ostrich-feather armbands and shimmering headpiece were ideal for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift is part of a trend. This year, glamorous nods have been adopted by singers including Dua Lipa as they danced across arena stages in sequins, revealing designs and plumes, spotlighted against theatrical sets. Lipa’s stylist a fashion expert told Vogue he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the mid-century, her performers fluttered giant ostrich feather fans.

Pulling from Tradition

Modern stars and other chart toppers also draw on historical performances, including classic theater and dance line references. The results are vastly different from the 90s teen pop of revealing tops and cargo pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that preceded this trend.

But not everyone are on board with this glamour resurgence. Nancy Hardy, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the early 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “used as an catch-all phrase covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently Taylor Swift.”

A Highly Sought-After Vintage Style

For gen Z and millennial stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, Zendaya paid tribute to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the actor wore a semi-sheer embellished dress made by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, a singer paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn earlier in the year to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a trio of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among collectors.

“The showgirl aesthetic inspire fond memories for a bygone era of glitz,” says Su Kim Chung, a curator at the an academic institution, who documents the story of showgirls. “Today it is considered a sort of ‘safe’ allure because it has been updated. It has got all the glamour, the crystals and the glitter but without the bare skin.”

A Than Just Fashion: An Symbol of Las Vegas

The expert says showgirls are central to the imagery of Sin City. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was accompanied by two showgirls. While Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-centric productions, the historian says they are still employed as an emblem of the city, showing up at conventions and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a enduring figure of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” the expert says.

The Allure of Escape

Hardy says the complete change of a showgirl is part of the attraction. This is a notion the singer references in a latest behind-the-scenes film that shows the off-camera action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting preparations, training and 149 shows across multiple nations, each lasting 3.5 hours.

She explains her own showgirl performances as “comparable to completing an endurance race in stilettos every night”. Her headdress 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 lower level. I had to leave early for my cue so I could catch my breath before I went on stage. One is perspiring the whole time but maintaining this illusion that it’s easy and gorgeous and ethereal.”

Perhaps this is where the fascination of the showgirl really resides. In the complexity of 2025 there is a desire for a break from reality. What better figure to look to than such icons, who have always embodied dreams, flawlessness and a realm where no one makes a mistake.