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After a three-decade stint on the Las Vegas strip, the performers from the revue Jubilee! gave one last synchronised kick in 2016. The production, known for its intricate costumes designed by style icon Bob Mackie, came to an end due to falling audience numbers and critical critics who described it as a spectacle “trapped in time”.

Currently, roughly eight years later, showgirls, or at least the glamorous showgirl look, is experiencing a revival.

The Sultan of Glitz

Referred to as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made dramatic showgirl glitz his signature style, clothing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to pop royalty. In a recent auction, a “see-through” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, well over its initial estimate, while a shimmering beaded bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie crafted 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 seeking something other than what they grew up with”, he told a media outlet. “Contemporary performers are embracing a show-stopping, more spectacular, show-stopping, memorable statement.”

A Musical Comeback

It’s a look that made its way all the way to the heart of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 largely due to Taylor Swift. 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, feathered armbands and glittering headpiece were perfect for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

She is part of a trend. This year, glamorous nods have been incorporated by singers including Dua Lipa as they whizzed across concert platforms in sparkles, cut-outs and feathers, illuminated against theatrical sets. Lipa’s stylist Lorenzo Posocco mentioned in an interview with Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the 1950s, her performers wafted giant feathered fans.

Pulling from History

Modern stars and other successful musicians also reference classic entertainment forms, including vaudeville and dance line references. The outcome are poles apart from the 1990s era Britney Spears era of short shirts and baggy pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that came before them.

But certain observers are convinced with this showgirl renaissance. Nancy Hardy, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the 2000s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “employed as an umbrella term covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently today's icons.”

A Coveted Classic Look

For gen Z and young adult stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, Zendaya paid tribute to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the actress wore a see-through embellished dress made by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, another pop star paid an private amount to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a collection of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among vintage enthusiasts.

“The showgirl aesthetic inspire a sense of longing for a past glamour,” says Su Kim Chung, head of special collections at the an academic institution, who studies the history of showgirls. “Now it is considered a sort of ‘toned-down’ appeal because it has been adapted. It has got all the sophistication, the rhinestones and the glitter but without the nudity.”

More Than Simply Style: An Symbol of Las Vegas

The expert says the showgirl image are key to the identity of Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was flanked by two showgirls. While Las Vegas does not host any showgirl-based productions, the historian says they are still employed as an logo of the city, showing up at gatherings and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a lasting icon of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” the expert says.

The Appeal of Escape

The former showgirl says the complete change of a showgirl is part of the attraction. This is a notion Taylor Swift alludes to in a recent documentary series that shows the backstage action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting practice sessions, training and numerous shows across dozens of cities, each running for 3.5 hours.

The performer explains her own nights in the spotlight as “like extreme physical exertion in high heels every night”. Her feathered headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the steps to the stage from the dressing rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to start early for my cue so I could catch my breath before I made my entrance. You’re perspiring the whole time but maintaining this image that it’s effortless and stunning and magical.”

Maybe this is where the true allure of the showgirl fantasy really is found. In the busyness of 2025 there is a longing for a break from reality. Who better to emulate than showgirls, who have always represented make-believe, idealism and a world where no one misses a mark.