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Following a three-decade run on the iconic Vegas strip, the performers from the revue Jubilee! gave one last perfectly timed kick in 2016. The production, known for its elaborate costumes designed by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to dwindling audience numbers and critical critics who called it a spectacle “stuck in the past”.

Currently, nearly ten years later, the showgirl, or at least the showgirl style, is back.

The Sultan of Sparkle

Known as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made dramatic showgirl glitz his signature style, outfitting everyone from Hollywood icons to pop royalty. In a recent auction, a “barely-there” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, far exceeding its initial estimate, while a silver and gold tasseled bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“I think 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. “Today's artists are embracing a show-stopping, more spectacular, show-stopping, memorable statement.”

The Mainstream Revival

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the heart of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 thanks to a chart-topping superstar. Earlier this year, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The crystal-covered bra and thong, feathered armbands and glittering headpiece were ideal for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift isn't alone. This year, glamorous nods have been adopted by music artists including Dua Lipa as they danced across arena stages in sparkles, revealing designs and feathers, spotlighted against camp sets. A top stylist a fashion expert told Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the 1950s, Lipa’s dancers fluttered giant feathered fans.

Drawing from the Past

These artists and other successful musicians also take inspiration from classic entertainment forms, including burlesque and ensemble references. The outcome are worlds away from the 1990s era teen pop of crop tops and baggy pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that came before them.

But certain observers are on board with this showgirl renaissance. A former performer, a former Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the early 2000s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word term is being “treated as an broad label encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly Taylor Swift.”

A Highly Sought-After Retro Look

For millennial and young adult stars, Mackie’s vintage designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, a famous actress honored to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actor wore a semi-sheer sequined dress created by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, a singer paid an undisclosed sum 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 trio of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among vintage enthusiasts.

“Showgirls inspire a sense of longing for a bygone era of glitz,” says Su Kim Chung, head of special collections at the a Las Vegas university, who researches the history of showgirls. “Currently it is viewed as a sort of ‘toned-down’ sexy because it has been updated. It has got all the elegance, the crystals and the shine but without the bare skin.”

More Than Just Style: An Symbol of the City

The expert says the showgirl image are central to the imagery of Las Vegas. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was accompanied by two showgirls. While Las Vegas does not host any showgirl-centric productions, the historian says they are still used as an logo of the city, being present at conventions and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a lasting symbol of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” the expert says.

The Appeal of Transformation

Nancy Hardy says the magical transformation of a showgirl persona is part of the appeal. This idea Swift references in a recent behind-the-scenes film that captures the backstage action from her year-long 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling preparations, workouts and countless performances across 21 countries, each lasting 3.5 hours.

She recalls her own nights in the spotlight as “similar to completing an endurance race in stilettos every night”. Her headpiece was 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the staircase 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 catch my breath before I performed. You’re perspiring the whole time but creating this fantasy that it’s simple and stunning and magical.”

Perhaps this is where the appeal of the showgirl really resides. In the busyness of 2025 there is a desire for a break from reality. Who better to emulate than these performers, who have always personified make-believe, perfection and a universe where no one falters.