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After a long-running run on the iconic Vegas strip, the dancers from the production Jubilee! gave one last choreographed kick in 2016. The show, famous for its elaborate costumes designed by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to falling audience numbers and disappointed reviewers who described it as a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

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

The Master of Sequins

Dubbed the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made over-the-top showgirl glamour his trademark look, outfitting everyone from Marilyn Monroe to music superstars. Recently, a “see-through” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, seven times its estimated price, while a metallic tasseled bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200.

“I think it looks more appealing for the emerging artists who is seeking something other than what they grew up with”, he stated in an interview with a newspaper. “Today's artists are striving for a theatrical, more dramatic, show-stopping, memorable statement.”

The Pop Culture Revival

It’s a look that made its way all the way to the epicenter of mainstream fashion in 2025 largely due to a global pop icon. In the past few months, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The crystal-covered bra and thong, feathered armbands and glittering headpiece were perfect for a record called The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift has company. This year, showgirl references have been incorporated by singers including Dua Lipa as they danced across arena stages in glitter, strategic openings and feathers, spotlighted against overstated sets. A top stylist a fashion expert explained to Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the mid-century, her performers wafted giant ostrich feather fans.

Drawing from History

These artists and other hitmakers also take inspiration from historical performances, including classic theater and chorus line references. The results are vastly different from the 1990s era Britney Spears era of revealing tops and baggy pants, and urban dance moves that were popular earlier.

But not everyone are enthusiastic with this showgirl revival. An ex-showgirl, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “used as an broad label encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently today's icons.”

A Highly Sought-After Retro Style

For gen Z and modern stars, Mackie’s vintage designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, a famous actress paid tribute to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actress wore a translucent embellished dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, another pop star paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a trio of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among fashion collectors.

“This style bring about a sense of longing for a historical elegance,” says Su Kim Chung, a curator at the an academic institution, who studies the story of showgirls. “Now it is seen as a sort of ‘acceptable’ sexy because it has been adapted. It has got all the sophistication, the rhinestones and the sparkle but without the exposure.”

More Than Simply Style: An Symbol of Las Vegas

The expert says the showgirl image are key to the identity of Las Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was accompanied by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas currently lacks any traditional showgirl productions, the historian says they are still used as an logo of the city, showing up at corporate events and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a remaining symbol of Vegas glamour,” the expert says.

The Appeal of Escape

The former showgirl says the transformative effect of a showgirl is part of the appeal. This idea Taylor Swift alludes to in a latest docuseries that captures the behind-the-scenes action from her year-long 2023 Eras tour, which included intense preparations, gym sessions and countless concerts across dozens of cities, each going on for 3.5 hours.

The performer explains her own showgirl performances as “similar to extreme physical exertion in stilettos every night”. Her feathered headdress tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the stairs to the platform from the dressing rooms three floors below in the underground. I had to head up ahead of time for my entrance so I could rest before I made my entrance. You’re working hard the whole time but maintaining this fantasy that it’s effortless and beautiful and dreamlike.”

Perhaps this is where the true allure of the showgirl really lies. In the chaos of 2025 there is a desire for escapism. Who better to turn to than showgirls, who have always personified fantasy, idealism and a world where nobody makes a mistake.