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Following a three-decade run on the iconic Vegas strip, the showgirls from the revue Jubilee! gave one last choreographed kick in 2016. The production, famous for its intricate costumes created by style icon Bob Mackie, came to an end due to falling audience numbers and disappointed commentators who labeled it a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Today, almost a decade later, the showgirl, or at least the glamorous showgirl look, is experiencing a revival.

The King of Sequins

Referred to as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glitz his signature style, dressing everyone from Hollywood icons to music superstars. Earlier this month, a “see-through” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, far exceeding its initial estimate, while a shimmering beaded bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“I think it looks more enticing for the emerging artists who is seeking something other than what they knew from childhood”, he stated in an interview with a newspaper. “New stars are pushing toward a show-stopping, more theatrical, show-stopping, grand statement.”

A Pop Culture Comeback

It’s a look that glided all the way to the epicenter of mainstream fashion in 2025 thanks to a global pop icon. In the past few months, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, feathered armbands and shimmering headpiece were perfect for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

The singer has company. This year, glamorous nods have been incorporated by singers including Sabrina Carpenter as they whizzed across concert platforms in sequins, strategic openings and plumes, illuminated against overstated sets. Lipa’s stylist her creative director mentioned in an interview with a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the mid-century, Lipa’s dancers waved giant plumed accessories.

Pulling from Tradition

Lipa, Carpenter and other hitmakers also reference classic performances, including classic theater and dance line references. The final look are worlds away from the 1990s era pop style of revealing tops and utilitarian trousers, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that came before them.

But not everyone are convinced with this glamour resurgence. A former performer, a former Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the early 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “employed as an catch-all phrase covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently today's icons.”

The Highly Sought-After Classic Look

For younger and young adult stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, Zendaya gave a nod to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the star wore a see-through embellished dress made by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, Miley Cyrus paid an significant price to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a trio of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among collectors.

“The showgirl aesthetic bring about nostalgia for a bygone era of glitz,” says Su Kim Chung, head of special collections at the University of Nevada, who researches the story of showgirls. “Today it is seen as a sort of ‘acceptable’ sexy because it has been adapted. It has got all the elegance, the rhinestones and the sparkle but without the exposure.”

A Than Just Style: An Symbol of Vegas

Chung says the showgirl image are key to the imagery of Las Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was accompanied by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas does not host any showgirl-based productions, Jung says they are still used as an symbol of the city, showing up at conventions and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a enduring figure of Las Vegas glamour,” Chung says.

An Allure of Escape

Nancy Hardy says the magical transformation of a stage character is part of the appeal. It’s something Taylor Swift references in a latest docuseries that documents the off-camera action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense practice sessions, workouts and countless performances across dozens of cities, each lasting 3.5 hours.

Hardy recalls her own stage routines as “similar to completing an endurance race in heels every night”. Her headdress was 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the stairs to the stage from the dressing rooms three floors below in the underground. I had to leave early for my moment so I could catch my breath before I made my entrance. One is working hard the whole time but maintaining this image that it’s easy and stunning and magical.”

It could be this is where the appeal of the showgirl fantasy really resides. In the complexity of 2025 there is a longing for fantasy. What better figure to emulate than showgirls, who have always represented make-believe, idealism and a realm where nobody makes a mistake.