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Following a three-decade tenure on the Las Vegas strip, the performers from the production Jubilee! executed their last synchronised kick in 2016. The production, renowned for its intricate costumes crafted by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to dwindling audience numbers and unimpressed reviewers who described it as a spectacle “stuck in the past”.

Currently, almost a decade later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl style, is making a comeback.

The King of Sequins

Known as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made dramatic stage sparkle his defining aesthetic, clothing everyone from Hollywood icons to pop royalty. Recently, a “naked” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, well over its initial estimate, while a metallic tasseled bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more attractive for the new generation of stars who is seeking something other than what they grew up with”, he stated in an interview with a publication. “Today's artists are pushing toward a show-stopping, more theatrical, attention-grabbing, memorable statement.”

A Mainstream Resurgence

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the centre of mainstream fashion in 2025 largely due to a global pop icon. Earlier this year, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, feathered armbands and shimmering headpiece were ideal for a record called The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift is part of a trend. This year, showgirl inspirations have been incorporated by singers including Dua Lipa as they whizzed across world tours in sparkles, strategic openings and feathers, highlighted against overstated sets. Lipa’s stylist her creative director told Vogue he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the 1950s, her performers fluttered giant ostrich feather fans.

Drawing from the Past

Modern stars and other successful musicians also reference 19th-century performances, including classic theater and dance line references. The final look are poles apart from the 90s pop style of crop tops and baggy pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that were popular earlier.

But certain observers are enthusiastic with this showgirl renaissance. A former performer, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the 00s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “used as an broad label covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently Taylor Swift.”

The Coveted Retro Look

For younger and modern stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, a famous actress paid tribute to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the actress wore a semi-sheer sequined dress made by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, Miley Cyrus 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, Carpenter wore a collection of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among fashion collectors.

“The showgirl aesthetic evoke a sense of longing for a bygone era of glitz,” says a historian, an expert at the University of Nevada, who documents the legacy of showgirls. “Now it is seen as a sort of ‘acceptable’ appeal because it has been updated. It has got all the glamour, the crystals and the shine but without the nudity.”

More Than Simply Style: An Icon of Las Vegas

The expert says this figure are central to the iconography of Vegas. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was flanked by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas currently lacks any traditional showgirl productions, Jung says they are still used as an symbol of the city, appearing at conventions and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a lasting symbol of Las Vegas spectacle,” the expert says.

The Allure of Escape

Nancy Hardy says the complete change of a stage character is part of the allure. It’s something Swift hints at in a recent docuseries that documents the backstage action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling rehearsals, training and numerous concerts across dozens of cities, each going on for 3.5 hours.

The performer explains her own nights in the spotlight as “similar to extreme physical exertion in heels every night”. Her headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the staircase to the platform from the green rooms three floors below in the lower level. I had to leave early for my moment so I could catch my breath before I made my entrance. One is sweating the whole time but maintaining this fantasy that it’s easy and stunning and magical.”

Perhaps this is where the true allure of the showgirl really lies. In the chaos of 2025 there is a craving for a break from reality. Is there anyone better to emulate than showgirls, who have always embodied dreams, flawlessness and a realm where nobody misses a mark.