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Following a three-decade stint on the Las Vegas strip, the performers from the revue Jubilee! executed their last perfectly timed kick in 2016. The show, known for its ornate costumes designed by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to declining audience numbers and critical reviewers who labeled it a spectacle “trapped in time”.

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

The Sultan of Sequins

Referred to as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glamour his signature style, clothing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna. Earlier this month, a “naked” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, seven times its estimated price, while a metallic beaded bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“I think it looks more appealing for the new generation of stars who is desiring something other than what they were accustomed to”, he told a newspaper. “Today's artists are striving for a show-stopping, more spectacular, show-stopping, grand statement.”

The Pop Culture Comeback

It’s a look that glided all the way to the epicenter of popular culture in 2025 propelled by Taylor Swift. Earlier this year, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The crystal-covered bra and thong, ostrich-feather armbands and sparkly headpiece were perfect for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

She has company. This year, showgirl references have been incorporated by music artists including Miley Cyrus as they danced across arena stages in glitter, cut-outs and plumes, illuminated against overstated sets. Lipa’s stylist a fashion expert told a fashion magazine 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 the Past

Modern stars and other hitmakers also reference 19th-century performances, including classic theater and dance line references. The final look are vastly different from the 1990s era pop style of revealing tops and baggy pants, and street-style dance moves that came before them.

But not everyone are enthusiastic with this glamour resurgence. An ex-showgirl, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. 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.”

The Highly Sought-After Vintage Style

For younger and modern stars, Mackie’s vintage designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, a famous actress honored to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actress wore a see-through embellished dress made by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, Miley Cyrus paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn earlier in the year 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 collectors.

“Showgirls inspire fond memories for a bygone era of glitz,” says Su Kim Chung, an expert at the an academic institution, who documents the story of showgirls. “Currently it is seen as a sort of ‘acceptable’ allure because it has been modified. It has got all the sophistication, the sparkles and the shine but without the exposure.”

A Than Just Fashion: An Icon of Las Vegas

Chung says this figure are key to the identity of Sin City. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was accompanied by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas does not host any showgirl-based productions, Jung says they are still featured as an symbol of the city, appearing at gatherings and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a remaining icon of Vegas glitz and glamour,” the expert says.

The Allure of Illusion

Nancy Hardy says the transformative effect of a stage character is part of the attraction. This idea Swift references in a latest documentary series that documents the backstage action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, training and 149 performances across 21 countries, each running for 3.5 hours.

She explains her own nights in the spotlight as “like running a marathon in high heels every night”. Her headdress tipped the scales at 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 underground. I had to head up ahead of time for my cue so I could rest before I went on stage. One is working hard the whole time but crafting this image that it’s easy and stunning and dreamlike.”

It could be this is where the true allure of the showgirl really resides. In the complexity of 2025 there is a desire for escapism. Who better to turn to than these performers, who have always personified make-believe, flawlessness and a world where nobody falters.