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Following a three-decade tenure on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the performers from the production Jubilee! gave one last perfectly timed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, famous for its ornate costumes crafted by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to falling audience numbers and unimpressed critics who described it as a spectacle “stuck in the past”.

Currently, almost a decade later, showgirls, or at least the glamorous showgirl look, is making a comeback.

A Sultan of Sparkle

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. Recently, a “barely-there” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, far exceeding its initial estimate, while a metallic tasseled bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“I think it looks more attractive for the emerging artists who is desiring something other than what they were accustomed to”, he stated in an interview with a newspaper. “New stars are embracing a theatrical, more spectacular, attention-grabbing, memorable statement.”

A Pop Culture Revival

It’s a look that glided all the way to the epicenter of mainstream fashion in 2025 thanks to a global pop icon. In the past few months, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The crystal-covered bra and thong, plumed armbands and glittering headpiece were tailor-made for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

The singer isn't alone. This year, glamorous nods have been embraced by music artists including Sabrina Carpenter as they danced across world tours in sequins, strategic openings and feathers, illuminated against overstated sets. Lipa’s stylist her creative director told a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the mid-century, her performers waved giant plumed accessories.

Drawing from Tradition

Lipa, Carpenter and other chart toppers also reference classic entertainment forms, including classic theater and chorus line references. The results are vastly different from the 90s Britney Spears era of revealing tops and baggy pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that came before them.

But certain observers are enthusiastic with this showgirl revival. An ex-showgirl, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the 00s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “treated as an umbrella term encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly today's icons.”

A Coveted Retro Look

For younger and millennial stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, a style icon honored to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actor wore a see-through beaded dress created by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, a singer paid an private amount to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a collection of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among vintage enthusiasts.

“The showgirl aesthetic evoke a sense of longing for a historical elegance,” says an archivist, a curator at the a Las Vegas university, who documents the history of showgirls. “Currently it is seen as a sort of ‘safe’ sexy because it has been adapted. It has got all the elegance, the sparkles and the shine but without the exposure.”

More Than Simply Fashion: An Icon of Las Vegas

She says the showgirl image are integral to the imagery of Sin City. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was flanked by two showgirls. While Las Vegas currently lacks any showgirl-based productions, Chung says they are still featured as an symbol of the city, appearing at gatherings and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a lasting icon of Las Vegas glamour,” Chung says.

An Appeal of Transformation

Hardy says the magical transformation of a stage character is part of the allure. This idea Swift alludes to in a new documentary series that shows the off-camera action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense practice sessions, gym sessions and 149 concerts across dozens of cities, each lasting 3.5 hours.

The performer describes her own nights in the spotlight as “like running a marathon in heels every night”. Her headdress tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the stairs to the platform from the dressing rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to leave early for my moment so I could recover before I performed. You’re sweating the whole time but maintaining this illusion that it’s simple and stunning and dreamlike.”

Maybe this is where the true allure of the showgirl really lies. In the complexity of 2025 there is a desire for a break from reality. Is there anyone better to emulate than these performers, who have always personified make-believe, idealism and a world where no one makes a mistake.