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After a long-running run on the Las Vegas strip, the dancers from the revue Jubilee! took a final choreographed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, famous for its ornate costumes created by style icon Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to falling audience numbers and unimpressed commentators who called it a spectacle “trapped in time”.

Today, almost a decade later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl style, is experiencing a revival.

A Master of Sparkle

Referred to as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made dramatic stage sparkle his signature style, outfitting everyone from screen legends to pop royalty. Recently, a “see-through” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, far exceeding its projected value, while a shimmering tasseled bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more attractive for the new generation of stars who is looking for something other than what they knew from childhood”, he explained to a publication. “Contemporary performers are pushing toward a theatrical, more dramatic, show-stopping, entrance-making statement.”

The Musical Revival

It’s a look that glided all the way to the heart of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 propelled by a chart-topping superstar. Earlier this year, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The crystal-covered bra and thong, plumed armbands and shimmering headpiece were ideal for a record called The Life of a Showgirl.

The singer has company. This year, showgirl references have been incorporated by music artists including Dua Lipa as they whizzed across concert platforms in sequins, strategic openings and plumes, spotlighted against overstated sets. Her fashion curator Lorenzo Posocco explained to a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the 50s, Lipa’s dancers waved giant plumed accessories.

Pulling from the Past

Modern stars and other hitmakers also take inspiration from classic entertainment forms, including vaudeville and ensemble references. The outcome are poles apart from the 1990s era pop style of revealing tops and baggy pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that were popular earlier.

But not everyone are enthusiastic with this showgirl revival. An ex-showgirl, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the 00s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word term is being “used as an catch-all phrase encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly Taylor Swift.”

A Coveted Vintage Style

For gen Z and young adult stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, a style icon paid tribute to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the actor wore a translucent sequined dress made by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he made 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, the singer wore a collection of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among collectors.

“This style bring about nostalgia for a bygone era of glitz,” says an archivist, head of special collections at the an academic institution, who documents the history of showgirls. “Now it is considered a sort of ‘toned-down’ sexy because it has been adapted. It has got all the sophistication, the rhinestones and the shine but without the bare skin.”

A Than Just Style: An Icon of Las Vegas

She says the showgirl image are key to the identity of Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was accompanied by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas does not host any showgirl-centric productions, Chung says they are still used as an logo of the city, showing up at conventions and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a enduring symbol of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” the expert says.

An Appeal of Transformation

Hardy says the magical transformation of a showgirl is part of the appeal. This is a notion Taylor Swift alludes to in a new docuseries that shows the off-camera action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling rehearsals, gym sessions and numerous shows across dozens of cities, each running for 3.5 hours.

She recalls her own stage routines as “similar to running a marathon in high heels every night”. Her headpiece tipped the scales at 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 leave early for my entrance so I could recover before I made my entrance. You’re sweating the whole time but crafting this fantasy that it’s easy and gorgeous and magical.”

Maybe this is where the appeal of the showgirl fantasy really is found. In the complexity of 2025 there is a longing for a break from reality. Is there anyone better to emulate than these performers, who have always personified make-believe, flawlessness and a world where nobody misses a mark.