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Following a 31-year run on the Las Vegas strip, the showgirls from the revue Jubilee! executed their last perfectly timed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, known for its intricate costumes created by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to dwindling audience numbers and critical reviewers who labeled it a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Today, roughly eight years later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is experiencing a revival.

The Master of Sequins

Dubbed the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made over-the-top showgirl glamour his defining aesthetic, clothing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to pop royalty. Recently, a “see-through” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, seven times its projected value, while a shimmering fringed bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more enticing for the younger performer who is desiring something other than what they were accustomed to”, he explained to a publication. “Contemporary performers are striving for a glamorous, more spectacular, show-stopping, grand statement.”

The Musical Revival

It’s a look that glided all the way to the centre of mainstream fashion in 2025 thanks to Taylor Swift. Recently, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, feathered armbands and glittering headpiece were ideal for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

She isn't alone. This year, glamorous nods have been embraced by pop stars including Miley Cyrus as they whizzed across world tours in sparkles, revealing designs and ostrich feathers, spotlighted against overstated sets. Lipa’s stylist Lorenzo Posocco mentioned in an interview with a style publication he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the 50s, her performers wafted giant feathered fans.

Pulling from Tradition

Lipa, Carpenter and other successful musicians also reference 19th-century performances, including classic theater and chorus line references. The outcome are vastly different from the 1990s era pop style of short shirts and cargo pants, and urban dance moves that came before them.

But some critics are enthusiastic with this showgirl renaissance. Nancy Hardy, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the early 2000s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “used as an catch-all phrase encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently modern pop stars.”

A Highly Sought-After Vintage Style

For gen Z and young adult stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, a famous actress paid tribute to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actress wore a see-through sequined dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, Miley Cyrus paid an private amount to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a collection of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among fashion collectors.

“The showgirl aesthetic evoke a sense of longing for a bygone era of glitz,” says a historian, a curator at the an academic institution, who researches the history of showgirls. “Today it is considered a sort of ‘acceptable’ sexy because it has been modified. It has got all the glamour, the rhinestones and the shine but without the nudity.”

More Than Simply Style: An Symbol of the City

The expert says the showgirl image are key to the identity of Sin City. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was accompanied by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas does not host any showgirl-based productions, Jung says they are still featured as an symbol of the city, showing up at conventions and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a remaining figure of Vegas glamour,” she says.

An Allure of Illusion

Hardy says the complete change of a showgirl persona is part of the appeal. This idea Taylor Swift hints at in a recent documentary series that shows the behind-the-scenes action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense preparations, workouts and countless performances across multiple nations, each lasting 3.5 hours.

Hardy describes her own showgirl performances as “like extreme physical exertion in heels every night”. Her headpiece tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the stairs to the platform from the green rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to leave early for my cue so I could rest before I went on stage. One is working hard the whole time but creating this image that it’s simple and stunning and ethereal.”

Perhaps this is where the true allure of the showgirl really resides. In the chaos of 2025 there is a longing for fantasy. Who better to turn to than showgirls, who have always personified dreams, idealism and a world where no one makes a mistake.