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Following a three-decade tenure on the Las Vegas strip, the dancers from the spectacle Jubilee! took a final perfectly timed kick in 2016. The show, famous for its ornate costumes created by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to dwindling audience numbers and critical commentators who called it a spectacle “stuck in the past”.

Currently, nearly ten years later, the showgirl, or at least the showgirl style, is experiencing a revival.

A King of Sequins

Known as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made dramatic showgirl glitz his signature style, outfitting everyone from screen legends to Madonna. Recently, a “barely-there” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, seven times its projected value, while a metallic tasseled bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more appealing for the new generation of stars who is desiring something other than what they grew up with”, he told a newspaper. “Today's artists are striving for a glamorous, more spectacular, breathtaking, entrance-making statement.”

The Mainstream Revival

It’s a look that glided all the way to the centre of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 thanks to a chart-topping superstar. Earlier this year, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, ostrich-feather armbands and shimmering headpiece were perfect for a record called The Life of a Showgirl.

She has company. This year, glamorous nods have been incorporated by pop stars including Dua Lipa as they danced across arena stages in glitter, revealing designs and ostrich feathers, spotlighted against camp sets. A top stylist a fashion expert explained to Vogue he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the 50s, the backup dancers waved giant ostrich feather fans.

Pulling from History

Modern stars and other chart toppers also draw on historical performances, including burlesque and dance line references. The final look are worlds away from the late-century teen pop of short shirts and cargo pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that came before them.

But some critics are convinced with this showgirl revival. A former performer, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the 00s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “used as an umbrella term encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even Taylor Swift.”

The Coveted Classic Style

For gen Z and modern stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, a famous actress paid tribute to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the star wore a translucent embellished dress created by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, another pop star paid an private amount to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn earlier in the year to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a collection of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among vintage enthusiasts.

“This style inspire a sense of longing for a past glamour,” says Su Kim Chung, an expert at the an academic institution, who documents the legacy of showgirls. “Today it is considered a sort of ‘toned-down’ sexy because it has been adapted. It has got all the elegance, the sparkles and the sparkle but without the exposure.”

More Than Simply Style: An Symbol of the City

She says this figure are key to the identity of Sin City. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was accompanied by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas does not host any traditional showgirl productions, Chung says they are still used as an logo of the city, being present at gatherings and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a lasting symbol of Las Vegas glamour,” Chung says.

The Appeal of Escape

The former showgirl says the magical transformation of a showgirl is part of the appeal. It’s something Taylor Swift references in a recent documentary series that documents the backstage action from her year-long 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, gym sessions and numerous concerts across dozens of cities, each going on for 3.5 hours.

She recalls her own stage routines as “comparable to extreme physical exertion in stilettos every night”. Her headdress was 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the steps to the platform from the green rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to leave early for my moment so I could catch my breath before I made my entrance. You’re working hard the whole time but maintaining this image that it’s easy and gorgeous and magical.”

Maybe this is where the appeal of the showgirl fantasy really lies. In the chaos of 2025 there is a desire for a break from reality. What better figure to emulate than showgirls, who have always personified make-believe, perfection and a universe where nobody falters.