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After a long-running tenure on the Las Vegas strip, the showgirls from the revue Jubilee! executed their last choreographed kick in 2016. The production, famous for its intricate costumes crafted by style icon Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to declining audience numbers and critical critics who called it a spectacle “stuck in the past”.

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

A Sultan of Sequins

Referred to as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made over-the-top showgirl glitz his signature style, dressing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to pop royalty. Recently, a “see-through” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, seven times its initial estimate, while a metallic beaded bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more enticing for the younger performer who is looking for something other than what they grew up with”, he explained to a newspaper. “New stars are striving for a glamorous, more dramatic, breathtaking, memorable statement.”

The Musical Comeback

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the heart of mainstream fashion in 2025 thanks to a chart-topping superstar. Earlier this year, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The bedazzled bra and thong, feathered armbands and sparkly headpiece were tailor-made for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

The singer has company. This year, glamorous nods have been incorporated by singers including Dua Lipa as they whizzed across concert platforms in sequins, cut-outs and plumes, illuminated against theatrical sets. Her fashion curator a fashion expert explained to a style publication he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the mid-century, her performers fluttered giant plumed accessories.

Pulling from History

These artists and other successful musicians also take inspiration from 19th-century performances, including burlesque and dance line references. The results are worlds away from the late-century pop style of crop tops and utilitarian trousers, and street-style dance moves that preceded this trend.

But some critics are on board with this glamour resurgence. A former performer, 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 broad label including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even Taylor Swift.”

The Highly Sought-After Vintage Look

For younger and millennial stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, a famous actress paid tribute to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actor wore a translucent sequined dress created by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, Miley Cyrus paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a trio of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among vintage enthusiasts.

“This style inspire nostalgia for a historical elegance,” says an archivist, head of special collections at the University of Nevada, who documents the story of showgirls. “Now it is seen as a sort of ‘safe’ appeal because it has been adapted. It has got all the glamour, the sparkles and the glitter but without the exposure.”

More Than Simply Fashion: An Icon of the City

Chung says the showgirl image are central to the iconography of Sin City. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was accompanied by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas does not host any showgirl-centric productions, Jung says they are still featured as an emblem of the city, showing up at gatherings and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a remaining symbol of Las Vegas glamour,” Chung says.

The Appeal of Illusion

Hardy says the magical transformation of a showgirl persona is part of the attraction. This idea Taylor Swift references in a recent documentary series that documents the off-camera action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense practice sessions, gym sessions and 149 shows across 21 countries, each going on for 3.5 hours.

The performer describes her own stage routines as “comparable to extreme physical exertion in high heels every night”. Her headpiece was 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the steps to the performance area from the dressing rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to start early for my cue so I could rest before I made my entrance. You are perspiring the whole time but maintaining this illusion that it’s effortless and stunning and magical.”

Perhaps this is where the true allure of the showgirl fantasy really is found. In the complexity of 2025 there is a longing for fantasy. Is there anyone better to turn to than showgirls, who have always represented dreams, perfection and a realm where nobody falters.