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After a three-decade stint on the iconic Vegas strip, the performers from the revue Jubilee! gave one last choreographed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, known for its elaborate costumes designed by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to dwindling audience numbers and unimpressed reviewers who called it a spectacle “trapped in time”.

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

The Master of Glitz

Referred to as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made dramatic showgirl glamour his defining aesthetic, clothing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to pop royalty. Recently, a “barely-there” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, far exceeding its projected value, while a metallic beaded bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more attractive for the emerging artists who is seeking something other than what they grew up with”, he told a newspaper. “Today's artists are embracing a theatrical, more dramatic, attention-grabbing, entrance-making statement.”

A Mainstream Revival

It’s a look that glided all the way to the centre of popular culture in 2025 propelled by a global pop icon. Recently, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The crystal-covered bra and thong, plumed armbands and sparkly headpiece were perfect for a record called The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift has company. This year, showgirl references have been adopted by music artists including Sabrina Carpenter as they danced across arena stages in glitter, cut-outs and ostrich feathers, spotlighted against overstated sets. Lipa’s stylist 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 50s, Lipa’s dancers wafted giant plumed accessories.

Pulling from History

Lipa, Carpenter and other successful musicians also draw on 19th-century entertainment forms, including vaudeville and ensemble references. The results are vastly different from the 1990s era pop style of short shirts and baggy pants, and street-style dance moves that preceded this trend.

But some critics are on board with this glamour resurgence. An ex-showgirl, a former Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the early 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word term is being “employed as an broad label including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even Taylor Swift.”

A Coveted Vintage Style

For younger and modern stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, Zendaya honored to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actor wore a see-through sequined dress made by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he made 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, Sabrina Carpenter wore a collection of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among collectors.

“The showgirl aesthetic evoke nostalgia for a bygone era of glitz,” says a historian, a curator at the an academic institution, who documents the legacy of showgirls. “Now it is considered a sort of ‘toned-down’ appeal because it has been adapted. It has got all the sophistication, the sparkles and the glitter but without the exposure.”

More Than Simply Fashion: An Symbol of Las Vegas

Chung says this figure are integral to the identity of Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was flanked by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas currently lacks any showgirl-centric productions, Chung says they are still featured as an symbol of the city, appearing at corporate events and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a remaining figure of Las Vegas glamour,” she says.

The Appeal of Escape

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 documents the behind-the-scenes action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, workouts and 149 performances across multiple nations, each lasting 3.5 hours.

The performer describes her own stage routines as “like extreme physical exertion in heels every night”. Her headpiece was 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the stairs to the performance area from the backstage area three floors below in the lower level. I had to start early for my moment so I could catch my breath before I made my entrance. One is sweating the whole time but maintaining this illusion that it’s simple and gorgeous and magical.”

Perhaps this is where the true allure of the showgirl really is found. In the complexity of 2025 there is a desire for escapism. Is there anyone better to turn to than such icons, who have always personified make-believe, idealism and a world where nobody falters.