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Following a long-running tenure on the Las Vegas strip, the dancers from the spectacle Jubilee! executed their last choreographed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, known for its ornate costumes created by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to falling audience numbers and critical commentators who called it a spectacle “trapped in time”.

Today, almost a decade later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is experiencing a revival.

A King of Sequins

Dubbed the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glitz his trademark look, clothing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna. In a recent auction, a “barely-there” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, well over its estimated price, while a silver and gold beaded bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more enticing for the new generation of stars who is looking for something other than what they grew up with”, he told a publication. “New stars are pushing toward a theatrical, more spectacular, breathtaking, memorable statement.”

A Mainstream Comeback

It’s a look that glided all the way to the centre of mainstream fashion in 2025 thanks to a chart-topping superstar. In the past few months, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The crystal-covered bra and thong, plumed armbands and shimmering headpiece were perfect for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

She has company. This year, showgirl inspirations have been adopted by pop stars including Miley Cyrus as they whizzed across arena stages in glitter, revealing designs and feathers, spotlighted against camp sets. Her fashion curator Lorenzo Posocco told a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the mid-century, Lipa’s dancers fluttered giant feathered fans.

Drawing from History

These artists and other successful musicians also take inspiration from historical performances, including vaudeville and dance line references. The results are poles apart from the 1990s era pop style of crop tops and cargo pants, and urban dance moves that preceded this trend.

But some critics are enthusiastic with this showgirl revival. A former performer, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the 00s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “treated as an catch-all phrase including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even modern pop stars.”

A Highly Sought-After Classic Look

For gen Z and young adult stars, Mackie’s vintage designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, Zendaya paid tribute to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the star wore a semi-sheer sequined dress made by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, Miley Cyrus paid an significant price to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn earlier in the year to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a trio of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among vintage enthusiasts.

“Showgirls bring about a sense of longing 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 updated. It has got all the sophistication, the sparkles and the shine but without the bare skin.”

A Than Simply Style: An Icon of the City

She says the showgirl image are key to the identity of Vegas. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was accompanied by two showgirls. While Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-centric productions, Jung says they are still featured as an emblem of the city, being present at corporate events and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a lasting figure of Vegas glamour,” she says.

The Appeal of Escape

Nancy Hardy says the magical transformation of a showgirl persona is part of the allure. It’s something Swift alludes to in a new behind-the-scenes film that captures the off-camera action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting rehearsals, workouts and numerous performances across multiple nations, each lasting 3.5 hours.

The performer recalls her own nights in the spotlight as “similar to completing an endurance race in high heels every night”. Her feathered headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the steps to the stage from the backstage area three floors below in the basement. I had to start early for my entrance so I could recover before I performed. One is working hard the whole time but creating this fantasy that it’s simple and beautiful and dreamlike.”

It could be this is where the true allure of the showgirl fantasy really lies. In the complexity of 2025 there is a desire for a break from reality. Who better to emulate than these performers, who have always personified dreams, idealism and a world where nobody misses a mark.