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Following a 31-year tenure on the iconic Vegas strip, the showgirls from the production Jubilee! executed their last synchronised kick in 2016. The show, renowned for its intricate costumes crafted by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to declining audience numbers and disappointed commentators who labeled it a spectacle “stuck in the past”.

Today, roughly eight years later, the showgirl, or at least the showgirl style, is experiencing a revival.

A King of Glitz

Dubbed the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glitz his trademark look, outfitting everyone from screen legends to pop royalty. Recently, a “barely-there” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, well over its initial estimate, while a shimmering beaded bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“I think it looks more appealing for the younger performer who is seeking something other than what they knew from childhood”, he told a publication. “Today's artists are embracing a theatrical, more dramatic, show-stopping, memorable statement.”

The Pop Culture Revival

It’s a look that glided all the way to the epicenter of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 largely due to a chart-topping superstar. Earlier this year, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, feathered armbands and glittering headpiece were ideal for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift isn't alone. This year, glamorous nods have been incorporated by music artists including Dua Lipa as they zoomed across concert platforms in sparkles, revealing designs and feathers, illuminated against overstated sets. A top stylist Lorenzo Posocco mentioned in an interview with Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the mid-century, the backup dancers waved giant plumed accessories.

Drawing from Tradition

These artists and other hitmakers also draw on historical performances, including burlesque and chorus line references. The final look are poles apart from the late-century pop style of short shirts and utilitarian trousers, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that were popular earlier.

But certain observers are on board with this glamour resurgence. Nancy Hardy, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the 00s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word term is being “employed as an umbrella term encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently modern pop stars.”

The Coveted Classic Look

For gen Z and modern stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, a style icon honored to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the actress wore a see-through beaded dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, a singer paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a series of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among fashion collectors.

“This style bring about a sense of longing for a past glamour,” says an archivist, head of special collections at the a Las Vegas university, who documents the history of showgirls. “Currently it is seen as a sort of ‘acceptable’ sexy because it has been adapted. It has got all the sophistication, the crystals and the sparkle but without the bare skin.”

A Than Simply Style: An Icon of Vegas

Chung says showgirls are key to the identity of Sin City. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was flanked by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas currently lacks any showgirl-centric productions, Jung says they are still featured as an symbol of the city, being present at corporate events and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a remaining figure of Vegas spectacle,” Chung says.

The Allure of Transformation

Nancy Hardy says the transformative effect of a showgirl is part of the attraction. This idea Taylor Swift alludes to in a latest docuseries that shows the backstage action from her year-long 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, training and countless shows across 21 countries, each going on for 3.5 hours.

The performer describes her own showgirl performances as “similar to running a marathon in heels every night”. Her headdress tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the stairs to the platform from the backstage area three floors below in the underground. I had to start early for my cue so I could catch my breath before I made my entrance. One is sweating the whole time but crafting this image that it’s simple and beautiful and magical.”

Maybe this is where the fascination of the showgirl fantasy really resides. In the complexity of 2025 there is a longing for escapism. What better figure to emulate than such icons, who have always represented fantasy, perfection and a realm where no one misses a mark.