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After a 31-year stint on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the showgirls from the spectacle Jubilee! took a final perfectly timed kick in 2016. The production, renowned for its ornate costumes crafted by style icon Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to falling audience numbers and disappointed critics who called it a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

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

The King of Sequins

Referred to as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made over-the-top showgirl glitz his signature style, clothing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to music superstars. In a recent auction, a “naked” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, seven times its projected value, while a shimmering tasseled bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more attractive for the new generation of stars who is seeking something other than what they grew up with”, he told a publication. “Contemporary performers are pushing toward a glamorous, more theatrical, show-stopping, grand statement.”

The Mainstream Comeback

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the epicenter of mainstream fashion in 2025 propelled by a chart-topping superstar. Earlier this year, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The crystal-covered bra and thong, plumed armbands and shimmering headpiece were tailor-made for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift isn't alone. This year, showgirl inspirations have been embraced by singers including Sabrina Carpenter as they whizzed across concert platforms in sequins, revealing designs and plumes, illuminated against overstated sets. Lipa’s stylist her creative director explained to a style publication he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the 1950s, the backup dancers wafted giant plumed accessories.

Drawing from Tradition

Modern stars and other successful musicians also take inspiration from classic performances, including burlesque and chorus line references. The results are worlds away from the 1990s era Britney Spears era of revealing tops and cargo pants, and street-style dance moves that preceded this trend.

But not everyone are convinced with this showgirl revival. An ex-showgirl, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the 00s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word term is being “employed as an umbrella term covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even Taylor Swift.”

A Highly Sought-After Retro Style

For younger and modern stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, Zendaya paid tribute to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the actor wore a see-through beaded dress created by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, a singer paid an private amount to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a collection of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among fashion collectors.

“Showgirls evoke a sense of longing for a past glamour,” says an archivist, head of special collections at the a Las Vegas university, who researches the history of showgirls. “Today it is viewed as a sort of ‘toned-down’ sexy because it has been updated. It has got all the elegance, the crystals and the sparkle but without the exposure.”

A Than Simply Style: An Icon of Vegas

The expert says this figure are integral to the identity of Las Vegas. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was accompanied by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas no longer has any traditional showgirl productions, Jung says they are still featured as an symbol of the city, showing up at conventions and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a enduring icon of Vegas spectacle,” the expert says.

The Allure of Illusion

Nancy Hardy says the magical transformation of a showgirl is part of the appeal. It’s something Taylor Swift alludes to in a latest documentary series that captures the backstage action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense practice sessions, workouts and 149 performances across dozens of cities, each running for 3.5 hours.

She explains her own stage routines as “similar to running a marathon in stilettos every night”. Her headpiece weighed 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the staircase to the performance area from the dressing rooms three floors below in the lower level. I had to start early for my entrance so I could catch my breath before I performed. One is perspiring the whole time but crafting this image that it’s effortless and stunning and dreamlike.”

Perhaps this is where the fascination of the showgirl really lies. In the chaos of 2025 there is a longing for fantasy. Who better to look to than these performers, who have always personified make-believe, perfection and a universe where no one falters.