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Following a three-decade tenure on the Las Vegas strip, the showgirls from the revue Jubilee! executed their last choreographed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, renowned for its ornate costumes crafted by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to falling audience numbers and disappointed critics who described it as a spectacle “stuck in the past”.

Currently, roughly eight years later, the showgirl, or at least the glamorous showgirl look, is back.

A King of Sequins

Referred to as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made over-the-top showgirl glitz his signature style, outfitting everyone from screen legends to Madonna. In a recent auction, a “barely-there” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, seven times its initial estimate, while a shimmering tasseled bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more appealing for the new generation of stars who is desiring something other than what they were accustomed to”, he stated in an interview with a media outlet. “Today's artists are embracing a glamorous, more spectacular, show-stopping, memorable statement.”

A Mainstream Resurgence

It’s a look that glided all the way to the epicenter of popular culture in 2025 propelled by a global pop icon. Earlier this year, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, ostrich-feather armbands and shimmering headpiece were ideal for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

She isn't alone. This year, showgirl inspirations have been embraced by pop stars including Miley Cyrus as they danced across arena stages in sequins, revealing designs and plumes, spotlighted against camp sets. Her fashion curator her creative director explained to a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the 50s, the backup dancers fluttered giant ostrich feather fans.

Drawing from Tradition

Lipa, Carpenter and other successful musicians also draw on classic entertainment forms, including vaudeville and ensemble references. The results are vastly different from the late-century pop style of revealing tops and baggy pants, and street-style dance moves that were popular earlier.

But not everyone are on board with this showgirl revival. An ex-showgirl, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the 00s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “treated as an catch-all phrase covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently today's icons.”

The Highly Sought-After Classic Style

For gen Z and modern stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, Zendaya honored to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the actor wore a semi-sheer beaded dress created by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, a singer paid an private amount to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn earlier in the year to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a collection of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among vintage enthusiasts.

“Showgirls evoke fond memories for a bygone era of glitz,” says Su Kim Chung, a curator at the University of Nevada, who documents the story of showgirls. “Today it is considered a sort of ‘safe’ allure because it has been adapted. It has got all the sophistication, the rhinestones and the shine but without the nudity.”

More Than Just Fashion: An Symbol of the City

Chung says showgirls are integral 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 gatherings and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a lasting symbol of Las Vegas glamour,” the expert says.

An Appeal of Illusion

The former showgirl says the magical transformation of a showgirl persona is part of the allure. It’s something Swift references in a recent behind-the-scenes film that shows the backstage action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting practice sessions, workouts and numerous shows across dozens of cities, each lasting 3.5 hours.

The performer describes her own nights in the spotlight as “similar to extreme physical exertion in high heels every night”. Her headdress was 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the staircase to the stage from the backstage area three floors below in the basement. I had to head up ahead of time for my cue so I could catch my breath before I performed. One is perspiring the whole time but creating this image that it’s easy and gorgeous and magical.”

It could be this is where the appeal of the showgirl fantasy really lies. In the complexity of 2025 there is a desire for a break from reality. Is there anyone better to turn to than showgirls, who have always embodied make-believe, idealism and a realm where no one falters.