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After a 31-year tenure on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the dancers from the spectacle Jubilee! executed their last choreographed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, known for its elaborate costumes designed by style icon Bob Mackie, came to an end due to declining audience numbers and disappointed commentators who described it as a spectacle “stuck in the past”.

Now, almost a decade later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl style, is experiencing a revival.

A Master of Glitz

Referred to as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glamour his signature style, outfitting everyone from Marilyn Monroe to pop royalty. In a recent auction, a “see-through” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, far exceeding its estimated price, while a shimmering fringed bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200.

“I think it looks more attractive for the younger performer who is desiring something other than what they knew from childhood”, he explained to a publication. “New stars are striving for a glamorous, more theatrical, breathtaking, memorable statement.”

The Mainstream Resurgence

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the heart of popular culture in 2025 thanks to a global pop icon. In the past few months, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, plumed armbands and glittering headpiece were perfect for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

She isn't alone. This year, glamorous nods have been adopted by pop stars including Sabrina Carpenter as they danced across world tours in sparkles, cut-outs and feathers, illuminated against overstated sets. Her fashion curator Lorenzo Posocco mentioned in an interview with a style publication he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the 1950s, the backup dancers fluttered giant ostrich feather fans.

Pulling from the Past

Lipa, Carpenter and other chart toppers also reference classic performances, including classic theater and dance line references. The final look are poles apart from the 1990s era teen pop of crop tops and cargo pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that came before them.

But not everyone are on board with this showgirl revival. Nancy Hardy, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the 00s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “employed as an umbrella term including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly Taylor Swift.”

The Highly Sought-After Retro Style

For younger and millennial stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, Zendaya honored to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the star wore a see-through embellished dress created by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, a singer paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a trio of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among vintage enthusiasts.

“The showgirl aesthetic evoke nostalgia for a bygone era of glitz,” says a historian, an expert at the University of Nevada, who researches the story of showgirls. “Today it is viewed as a sort of ‘acceptable’ allure because it has been adapted. It has got all the sophistication, the sparkles and the shine but without the exposure.”

A Than Just Style: An Icon of the City

Chung says this figure are key to the iconography of Sin City. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was accompanied by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-based productions, the historian says they are still used as an emblem of the city, appearing at conventions and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a remaining symbol of Las Vegas glamour,” she says.

An Allure of Transformation

Nancy Hardy says the complete change of a stage character is part of the attraction. This idea Taylor Swift alludes to in a new documentary series that shows the behind-the-scenes action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling preparations, training and numerous shows across dozens of cities, each going on for 3.5 hours.

She describes her own showgirl performances as “similar to running a marathon in high heels every night”. Her feathered headdress was 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the steps to the platform from the dressing rooms three floors below in the lower level. I had to leave early for my cue so I could recover before I made my entrance. One is working hard the whole time but creating this fantasy that it’s effortless and beautiful and ethereal.”

Perhaps this is where the true allure of the showgirl really resides. In the chaos of 2025 there is a desire for escapism. Is there anyone better to emulate than these performers, who have always embodied fantasy, idealism and a world where no one makes a mistake.