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Following a long-running stint on the iconic Vegas strip, the performers from the production Jubilee! took a final perfectly timed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, known for its ornate costumes designed by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to declining audience numbers and disappointed commentators who labeled it a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Currently, nearly ten years later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is making a comeback.

The Master of Sparkle

Referred to as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glitz his signature style, clothing everyone from screen legends to music superstars. Earlier this month, a “see-through” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, well over its estimated price, while a metallic tasseled bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more appealing for the new generation of stars who is seeking something other than what they knew from childhood”, he explained to a newspaper. “Today's artists are striving for a glamorous, more dramatic, show-stopping, memorable statement.”

The Musical Comeback

It’s a look that made its way all the way to the centre of popular culture in 2025 thanks to a global pop icon. Earlier this year, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The crystal-covered bra and thong, plumed armbands and glittering headpiece were ideal for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift is part of a trend. This year, showgirl inspirations have been embraced by music artists including Dua Lipa as they zoomed across arena stages in sparkles, revealing designs and feathers, spotlighted against overstated sets. Lipa’s stylist her creative director explained to a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the mid-century, the backup dancers wafted giant feathered fans.

Drawing from History

Modern stars and other hitmakers also reference historical performances, including burlesque and dance line references. The outcome are poles apart from the late-century pop style of crop tops and baggy pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that came before them.

But some critics are on board with this glamour resurgence. A former performer, a former Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the early 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word term is being “treated as an broad label including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even Taylor Swift.”

The Highly Sought-After Retro Style

For millennial and millennial stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, a famous actress paid tribute to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actor wore a see-through beaded dress made by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, another pop star paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a series of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among fashion collectors.

“The showgirl aesthetic inspire a sense of longing for a historical elegance,” says an archivist, head of special collections at the a Las Vegas university, who documents the legacy of showgirls. “Currently it is seen as a sort of ‘toned-down’ allure because it has been updated. It has got all the glamour, the crystals and the shine but without the bare skin.”

A Than Simply Style: An Icon of Vegas

She says this figure are central to the identity of Las Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was surrounded by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas currently lacks any traditional showgirl productions, the historian says they are still featured as an emblem of the city, being present at gatherings and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a enduring icon of Vegas glitz and glamour,” the expert says.

An Allure of Transformation

Nancy Hardy says the magical transformation of a showgirl is part of the attraction. It’s something Swift hints at in a recent behind-the-scenes film that documents the behind-the-scenes action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense practice sessions, training and countless performances across 21 countries, each running for 3.5 hours.

Hardy explains her own nights in the spotlight as “similar to extreme physical exertion in heels every night”. Her headpiece tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the steps to the performance area from the backstage area three floors below in the lower level. I had to head up ahead of time for my moment so I could rest before I made my entrance. One is perspiring the whole time but crafting this fantasy that it’s effortless and gorgeous and ethereal.”

It could be this is where the appeal of the showgirl really is found. In the busyness of 2025 there is a desire for fantasy. Who better to look to than such icons, who have always embodied dreams, flawlessness and a universe where no one makes a mistake.