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After a long-running stint on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the performers from the production Jubilee! gave one last choreographed kick in 2016. The production, known for its ornate costumes created by style icon Bob Mackie, ended its run due to declining audience numbers and disappointed commentators who labeled it a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Now, nearly ten years later, the showgirl, or at least the showgirl style, is back.

A Master of Sparkle

Dubbed the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made dramatic stage sparkle his signature style, clothing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to pop royalty. In a recent auction, a “naked” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, far exceeding its estimated price, while a metallic fringed bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more appealing for the younger performer who is seeking something other than what they knew from childhood”, he stated in an interview with a publication. “Today's artists are embracing a show-stopping, more spectacular, breathtaking, entrance-making statement.”

A Musical Resurgence

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the epicenter of popular culture in 2025 propelled by a global pop icon. Earlier this year, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The crystal-covered bra and thong, feathered armbands and shimmering headpiece were perfect for a record called The Life of a Showgirl.

The singer is part of a trend. This year, showgirl inspirations have been embraced by singers including Miley Cyrus as they whizzed across arena stages in glitter, strategic openings and ostrich feathers, illuminated against theatrical sets. A top stylist her creative director explained to Vogue he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the mid-century, her performers wafted giant plumed accessories.

Drawing from the Past

Lipa, Carpenter and other successful musicians also reference classic performances, including vaudeville and dance line references. The results are vastly different from the late-century Britney Spears era of revealing tops and cargo pants, and urban dance moves that preceded this trend.

But some critics are convinced with this glamour resurgence. A former performer, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the 00s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word term is being “employed as an catch-all phrase encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly Taylor Swift.”

The Coveted Vintage Look

For younger and young adult stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, a famous actress gave a nod to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the star wore a translucent sequined dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, Miley Cyrus paid an significant price 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 favorite among vintage enthusiasts.

“The showgirl aesthetic evoke fond memories for a bygone era of glitz,” says an archivist, an expert at the an academic institution, who researches the story of showgirls. “Today it is considered a sort of ‘acceptable’ appeal because it has been updated. It has got all the sophistication, the sparkles and the sparkle but without the exposure.”

A Than Simply Fashion: An Icon of Vegas

Chung says the showgirl image are integral to the iconography of Las Vegas. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was flanked by two showgirls. While Las Vegas no longer has any traditional showgirl productions, the historian says they are still used as an emblem of the city, being present at corporate events and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a remaining figure of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” she says.

An Allure of Transformation

Hardy says the transformative effect of a showgirl is part of the allure. It’s something Swift alludes to in a latest behind-the-scenes film that captures the behind-the-scenes action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting practice sessions, training and numerous performances across dozens of cities, each going on for 3.5 hours.

The performer recalls her own showgirl performances as “like running a marathon in stilettos every night”. Her headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the steps to the platform from the backstage area three floors below in the basement. I had to head up ahead of time for my entrance so I could catch my breath before I performed. You’re perspiring the whole time but maintaining this fantasy that it’s simple and beautiful and magical.”

It could be this is where the fascination of the showgirl really resides. In the busyness of 2025 there is a longing for escapism. Who better to look to than such icons, who have always personified fantasy, flawlessness and a world where nobody falters.