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After a 31-year stint on the Las Vegas strip, the dancers from the production Jubilee! executed their last synchronised kick in 2016. The show, famous for its ornate costumes crafted by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to dwindling audience numbers and critical critics who called it a spectacle “trapped in time”.

Now, almost a decade later, the showgirl, or at least the glamorous showgirl look, is back.

A Master of Sequins

Known as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made theatrical stage sparkle his trademark look, clothing everyone from screen legends to Madonna. Recently, a “barely-there” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, well over its initial estimate, while a silver and gold fringed bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more enticing for the younger performer who is seeking something other than what they knew from childhood”, he explained to a media outlet. “Today's artists are striving for a theatrical, more theatrical, attention-grabbing, entrance-making statement.”

The Pop Culture Comeback

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the heart of popular culture in 2025 thanks to a chart-topping superstar. Recently, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, ostrich-feather armbands and sparkly headpiece were perfect for a record called The Life of a Showgirl.

She is part of a trend. This year, glamorous nods have been incorporated by singers including Miley Cyrus as they danced across concert platforms in sparkles, revealing designs and plumes, spotlighted against overstated sets. Lipa’s stylist a fashion expert told a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the mid-century, Lipa’s dancers wafted giant feathered fans.

Drawing from History

Modern stars and other hitmakers also reference historical performances, including vaudeville and ensemble references. The results are poles apart from the late-century teen pop of crop tops and baggy pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that preceded this trend.

But some critics are convinced with this glamour resurgence. Nancy Hardy, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the 2000s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “employed as an broad label covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly Taylor Swift.”

A Highly Sought-After Retro Style

For younger and millennial stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, a style icon gave a nod to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actor wore a see-through sequined dress made by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, another pop star paid an private amount to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn previously 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 favorite among vintage enthusiasts.

“This style evoke fond memories for a bygone era of glitz,” says an archivist, an expert at the a Las Vegas university, who studies the story of showgirls. “Currently it is seen as a sort of ‘safe’ allure because it has been adapted. It has got all the glamour, the crystals and the shine but without the bare skin.”

A Than Just Fashion: An Icon of Las Vegas

The expert says showgirls are central to the identity of Las Vegas. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was accompanied by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-based productions, the historian says they are still employed as an logo of the city, appearing at conventions and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a lasting icon of Vegas glamour,” the expert says.

An Appeal of Illusion

Hardy says the transformative effect of a showgirl is part of the appeal. It’s something Taylor Swift alludes to in a new behind-the-scenes film that captures the backstage action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling rehearsals, workouts and 149 shows across 21 countries, each running for 3.5 hours.

The performer recalls her own nights in the spotlight as “like completing an endurance race in stilettos every night”. Her feathered headdress was 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the staircase to the performance area from the green rooms three floors below in the lower level. I had to leave early for my moment so I could recover before I performed. You are sweating the whole time but maintaining this illusion that it’s simple and beautiful and magical.”

Maybe this is where the fascination of the showgirl fantasy really is found. In the busyness of 2025 there is a longing for escapism. Who better to emulate than showgirls, who have always embodied dreams, flawlessness and a world where no one misses a mark.