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Following a long-running stint on the iconic Vegas strip, the showgirls from the production Jubilee! executed their last choreographed kick in 2016. The production, renowned for its elaborate costumes designed by style icon Bob Mackie, ended its run due to falling audience numbers and unimpressed reviewers who described it as a spectacle “stuck in the past”.

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

A Sultan of Glitz

Known as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glitz his defining aesthetic, dressing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to pop royalty. In a recent auction, a “naked” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, seven times its estimated price, while a silver and gold fringed bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more appealing for the emerging artists who is desiring something other than what they grew up with”, he told a newspaper. “New stars are embracing a show-stopping, more theatrical, attention-grabbing, entrance-making statement.”

A Pop Culture Comeback

It’s a look that glided all the way to the epicenter of mainstream fashion in 2025 propelled by a global pop icon. Recently, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, feathered armbands and sparkly headpiece were tailor-made for a record called The Life of a Showgirl.

She is part of a trend. This year, showgirl inspirations have been incorporated by music artists including Sabrina Carpenter as they danced across arena stages in glitter, cut-outs and plumes, highlighted against overstated sets. Her fashion curator a fashion expert told Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the mid-century, her performers fluttered giant feathered fans.

Drawing from Tradition

These artists and other successful musicians also take inspiration from classic entertainment forms, including vaudeville and ensemble references. The final look are poles apart from the late-century Britney Spears era of crop tops and cargo pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that were popular earlier.

But certain observers are on board with this showgirl renaissance. Nancy Hardy, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the 00s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word term is being “employed as an broad label covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently today's icons.”

The Coveted Vintage Style

For gen Z and young adult stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, a famous actress paid tribute to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the star wore a translucent embellished dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, Miley Cyrus paid an significant price to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a collection of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among collectors.

“Showgirls bring about a sense of longing for a historical elegance,” says a historian, a curator at the a Las Vegas university, who documents the history of showgirls. “Now it is seen as a sort of ‘safe’ sexy because it has been adapted. It has got all the glamour, the sparkles and the shine but without the exposure.”

A Than Simply Fashion: An Symbol of Las Vegas

She says the showgirl image are key to the imagery of Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was flanked by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas does not host any traditional showgirl productions, Jung says they are still featured as an logo of the city, showing up at gatherings and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a lasting icon of Vegas spectacle,” she says.

The Allure of Illusion

Hardy says the complete change of a showgirl persona is part of the allure. This is a notion Taylor Swift alludes to in a recent docuseries that documents the off-camera action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense practice sessions, training and numerous concerts across dozens of cities, each going on for 3.5 hours.

She explains her own nights in the spotlight as “similar to completing an endurance race in stilettos every night”. Her headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the stairs to the platform from the backstage area three floors below in the lower level. I had to head up ahead of time for my entrance so I could recover before I performed. You are working hard the whole time but creating this fantasy that it’s simple and stunning and ethereal.”

It could be this is where the appeal of the showgirl really is found. In the chaos of 2025 there is a desire for escapism. Who better to turn to than showgirls, who have always represented fantasy, idealism and a realm where nobody falters.