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After a three-decade tenure on the iconic Vegas strip, the performers from the revue Jubilee! gave one last choreographed kick in 2016. The production, known for its ornate costumes designed by style icon Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to declining audience numbers and disappointed commentators who described it as a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

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

The King of Sparkle

Referred to as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made dramatic showgirl glitz his trademark look, dressing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to pop royalty. In a recent auction, a “naked” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, far exceeding its initial estimate, while a shimmering tasseled bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“I think it looks more appealing for the new generation of stars who is seeking something other than what they knew from childhood”, he stated in an interview with a publication. “Today's artists are pushing toward a glamorous, more theatrical, breathtaking, grand statement.”

The Musical Resurgence

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the epicenter of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 propelled by Taylor Swift. In the past few months, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The crystal-covered bra and thong, ostrich-feather armbands and sparkly headpiece were perfect for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift isn't alone. This year, showgirl references have been adopted by pop stars including Miley Cyrus as they whizzed across arena stages in sequins, strategic openings and feathers, spotlighted against overstated sets. A top stylist her creative director told Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the 1950s, Lipa’s dancers waved giant feathered fans.

Pulling from History

Lipa, Carpenter and other chart toppers also draw on classic performances, including classic theater and dance line references. The final look are worlds away from the 1990s era teen pop of crop tops and baggy pants, and street-style dance moves that were popular earlier.

But some critics are on board with this glamour resurgence. A former performer, a one-time 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 Taylor Swift.”

The Coveted Retro Look

For younger and modern stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, Zendaya gave a nod 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 created for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, Miley Cyrus 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 collection of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among fashion collectors.

“This style inspire nostalgia for a bygone era of glitz,” says Su Kim Chung, 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 updated. It has got all the sophistication, the sparkles and the glitter but without the nudity.”

A Than Just Fashion: An Symbol of Vegas

She says showgirls are central to the imagery of Sin City. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was surrounded by two showgirls. While Las Vegas currently lacks any showgirl-centric productions, the historian says they are still used as an emblem of the city, being present at conventions and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a remaining icon of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” the expert says.

An Allure of Transformation

Hardy says the complete change of a stage character is part of the allure. This is a notion Swift references in a new behind-the-scenes film that documents the behind-the-scenes action from her year-long 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting practice sessions, training and 149 concerts across multiple nations, each going on for 3.5 hours.

She describes her own stage routines as “comparable to extreme physical exertion in high heels every night”. Her headdress tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the stairs to the platform from the green rooms three floors below in the lower level. I had to head up ahead of time for my cue so I could rest before I made my entrance. You are working hard the whole time but maintaining this image that it’s simple and gorgeous and dreamlike.”

It could be this is where the true allure of the showgirl really lies. In the complexity of 2025 there is a longing for escapism. Is there anyone better to look to than these performers, who have always embodied dreams, flawlessness and a universe where nobody makes a mistake.