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After a three-decade run on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the dancers from the production Jubilee! gave one last choreographed kick in 2016. The show, known for its elaborate costumes created by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to declining audience numbers and disappointed commentators who described it as a spectacle “stuck in the past”.

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

A King of Sparkle

Dubbed the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made theatrical stage sparkle his defining aesthetic, dressing everyone from Hollywood icons to Madonna. Recently, a “see-through” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, far exceeding its initial estimate, while a silver and gold beaded 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 looking for something other than what they grew up with”, he explained to a newspaper. “New stars are pushing toward a show-stopping, more spectacular, breathtaking, grand statement.”

The Mainstream Revival

It’s a look that glided all the way to the epicenter of popular culture in 2025 thanks to a global pop icon. In the past few months, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The crystal-covered bra and thong, feathered armbands and sparkly headpiece were tailor-made for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

She isn't alone. This year, showgirl inspirations have been incorporated by pop stars including Dua Lipa as they danced across arena stages in sequins, revealing designs and feathers, illuminated against theatrical sets. Lipa’s stylist Lorenzo Posocco explained to a style publication he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the 50s, the backup dancers fluttered giant plumed accessories.

Drawing from the Past

Modern stars and other chart toppers also take inspiration from historical performances, including vaudeville and chorus line references. The final look are vastly different from the late-century teen pop of short shirts and utilitarian trousers, and urban dance moves that were popular earlier.

But some critics are on board with this showgirl revival. An ex-showgirl, a former Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the early 2000s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word term is being “treated as an umbrella term covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even today's icons.”

The Highly Sought-After Retro Style

For younger and modern stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, a style icon paid tribute to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the actress wore a semi-sheer embellished dress designed 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 private amount to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn earlier in the year to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a series of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among collectors.

“This style evoke nostalgia for a historical elegance,” says Su Kim Chung, head of special collections at the a Las Vegas university, who studies the legacy of showgirls. “Today it is considered a sort of ‘toned-down’ allure because it has been adapted. It has got all the glamour, the rhinestones and the glitter but without the exposure.”

More Than Just Fashion: An Icon of the City

She says the showgirl image are central to the imagery of Las Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was surrounded by two showgirls. While Las Vegas does not host any showgirl-based productions, Chung says they are still used as an emblem of the city, appearing at gatherings and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a lasting icon of Las Vegas spectacle,” the expert says.

The Appeal of Transformation

Nancy Hardy says the complete change of a stage character is part of the appeal. This is a notion Taylor Swift alludes to in a recent behind-the-scenes film that shows the behind-the-scenes action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, gym sessions and 149 performances across multiple nations, each going on for 3.5 hours.

She explains her own nights in the spotlight as “comparable to extreme physical exertion in heels every night”. Her feathered headdress was 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the steps to the platform from the dressing rooms three floors below in the underground. I had to start early for my cue so I could catch my breath before I went on stage. One is sweating the whole time but creating this illusion that it’s effortless and gorgeous and dreamlike.”

Maybe this is where the true allure of the showgirl really is found. In the complexity of 2025 there is a desire for escapism. Who better to emulate than showgirls, who have always represented fantasy, flawlessness and a world where nobody falters.