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Following a three-decade run on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the dancers from the revue Jubilee! took a final synchronised kick in 2016. The show, renowned for its ornate costumes created by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to declining audience numbers and critical commentators who labeled it a spectacle “stuck in the past”.

Now, almost a decade later, the showgirl, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is making a comeback.

A King of Sequins

Referred to as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glitz his signature style, outfitting everyone from screen legends to Madonna. Earlier this month, a “see-through” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, seven times its projected value, while a silver and gold fringed bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more attractive 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 glamorous, more dramatic, breathtaking, memorable statement.”

A Pop Culture Revival

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

She is part of a trend. This year, glamorous nods have been embraced by music artists including Dua Lipa as they danced across world tours in sequins, strategic openings and ostrich feathers, highlighted against overstated sets. Her fashion curator a fashion expert told a style publication he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the 50s, Lipa’s dancers wafted giant ostrich feather fans.

Pulling from Tradition

Lipa, Carpenter and other successful musicians also draw on historical entertainment forms, including burlesque and dance line references. The final look are worlds away from the late-century Britney Spears era of revealing tops and baggy pants, and urban dance moves that came before them.

But certain observers are on board with this glamour resurgence. Nancy Hardy, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the early 2000s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word term is being “employed as an broad label covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly modern pop stars.”

A Highly Sought-After Retro Look

For younger and young adult stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, a style icon gave a nod to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the star wore a semi-sheer sequined dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, 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, the singer wore a collection of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among fashion collectors.

“Showgirls bring about nostalgia for a historical elegance,” says an archivist, a curator at the a Las Vegas university, who researches the history of showgirls. “Now it is considered a sort of ‘safe’ allure because it has been updated. It has got all the sophistication, the sparkles and the sparkle but without the exposure.”

A Than Just Fashion: An Icon of Vegas

Chung says this figure are central to the imagery of Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was accompanied by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas currently lacks any showgirl-based productions, Jung says they are still employed as an symbol of the city, being present at corporate events and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a remaining figure of Las Vegas glamour,” Chung says.

The Allure of Transformation

The former showgirl says the magical transformation of a showgirl persona is part of the allure. This is a notion Swift hints at in a latest behind-the-scenes film that captures the backstage action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling practice sessions, workouts and numerous shows across 21 countries, each going on for 3.5 hours.

The performer recalls her own stage routines as “like running a marathon in heels every night”. Her feathered headdress was 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the steps to the platform from the green rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to start early for my cue so I could recover before I made my entrance. One is sweating the whole time but crafting this fantasy that it’s easy and beautiful and ethereal.”

It could be this is where the true allure of the showgirl really lies. In the chaos of 2025 there is a craving for a break from reality. Is there anyone better to look to than showgirls, who have always personified dreams, idealism and a universe where nobody misses a mark.