After a 31-year tenure on the iconic Vegas strip, the dancers from the revue Jubilee! gave one last perfectly timed kick in 2016. The production, known for its ornate costumes created by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to dwindling audience numbers and critical critics who labeled it a spectacle “stuck in the past”.
Currently, roughly eight years later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl style, is experiencing a revival.
The Sultan of Glitz
Known as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made over-the-top showgirl glamour his trademark look, clothing everyone from Hollywood icons to Madonna. In a recent auction, a “naked” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, seven times its projected value, while a metallic beaded bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200.
“In my view it looks more enticing for the younger performer who is seeking something other than what they grew up with”, he explained to a publication. “New stars are pushing toward a theatrical, more spectacular, show-stopping, entrance-making statement.”
The Pop Culture Resurgence
It’s a look that glided all the way to the heart of popular culture in 2025 largely due to Taylor Swift. Earlier this year, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, feathered armbands and shimmering headpiece were ideal for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.
She isn't alone. This year, showgirl references have been adopted by singers including Sabrina Carpenter as they zoomed across concert platforms in glitter, strategic openings and plumes, illuminated against camp sets. Lipa’s stylist Lorenzo Posocco mentioned in an interview with a style publication he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the 1950s, the backup dancers waved giant feathered fans.
Pulling from the Past
Modern stars and other successful musicians also take inspiration from classic performances, including vaudeville and dance line references. The final look are poles apart from the 90s teen pop of short shirts and baggy pants, and street-style dance moves that preceded this trend.
But certain observers are on board with this glamour resurgence. Nancy Hardy, a former Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the early 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “used as an umbrella term including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently today's icons.”
The Coveted Retro Style
For younger and modern stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, a style icon paid tribute to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the actor wore a semi-sheer sequined dress made by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, a singer paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a trio of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among fashion collectors.
“This style inspire fond memories for a past glamour,” says Su Kim Chung, a curator at the a Las Vegas university, who documents the history of showgirls. “Currently it is seen as a sort of ‘safe’ sexy because it has been updated. It has got all the glamour, the sparkles and the shine but without the bare skin.”
More Than Simply Style: An Symbol of Las Vegas
The expert says the showgirl image are integral to the iconography of Sin City. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was accompanied by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas currently lacks any showgirl-based productions, the historian says they are still used as an symbol of the city, appearing at corporate events and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a remaining icon of Vegas spectacle,” the expert says.
The Appeal of Transformation
The former showgirl says the magical transformation of a showgirl persona is part of the appeal. This is a notion the singer alludes to in a new documentary series that shows the backstage action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting practice sessions, training and numerous shows across multiple nations, each running for 3.5 hours.
She recalls her own showgirl performances as “comparable to completing an endurance race in heels every night”. Her headpiece weighed 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the steps to the stage from the dressing rooms three floors below in the underground. I had to start early for my moment so I could recover before I went on stage. You are sweating the whole time but creating this fantasy that it’s effortless and gorgeous and magical.”
It could be this is where the fascination of the showgirl fantasy really resides. In the busyness of 2025 there is a craving for escapism. Is there anyone better to turn to than showgirls, who have always represented fantasy, perfection and a universe where nobody makes a mistake.
