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After a long-running tenure on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the dancers from the production Jubilee! took a final perfectly timed kick in 2016. The production, famous for its elaborate costumes crafted by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to dwindling audience numbers and critical critics who described it as a spectacle “stuck in the past”.

Today, roughly eight years later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl style, is back.

A King of Sparkle

Known as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made dramatic stage sparkle his trademark look, clothing everyone from screen legends to music superstars. Recently, a “naked” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, seven times its initial estimate, while a shimmering tasseled bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more appealing for the younger performer who is looking for something other than what they knew from childhood”, he explained to a publication. “New stars are embracing a show-stopping, more spectacular, breathtaking, grand statement.”

The Mainstream Resurgence

It’s a look that glided all the way to the epicenter of popular culture in 2025 thanks to a chart-topping superstar. In the past few months, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, plumed armbands and sparkly headpiece were perfect for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift isn't alone. This year, showgirl references have been adopted by singers including Sabrina Carpenter as they danced across arena stages in glitter, revealing designs and feathers, illuminated against camp sets. Lipa’s stylist Lorenzo Posocco told a style publication he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the 50s, the backup dancers fluttered giant feathered fans.

Drawing from History

These artists and other successful musicians also draw on 19th-century performances, including burlesque and chorus line references. The outcome are worlds away from the 1990s era pop style of crop tops and cargo pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that preceded this trend.

But some critics are on board with this showgirl renaissance. A former performer, a former Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the 00s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word term is being “used as an umbrella term covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly modern pop stars.”

The Coveted Retro Style

For younger and modern stars, Mackie’s vintage designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, Zendaya paid tribute to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the star wore a semi-sheer sequined dress created by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, Miley Cyrus 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 retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among collectors.

“This style evoke a sense of longing for a past glamour,” says Su Kim Chung, a curator at the University of Nevada, who studies the story of showgirls. “Now it is considered a sort of ‘toned-down’ appeal because it has been modified. It has got all the elegance, the sparkles and the sparkle but without the nudity.”

More Than Just Fashion: An Symbol of Vegas

She says the showgirl image are central to the identity of Las Vegas. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was accompanied by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas currently lacks any showgirl-centric productions, the historian says they are still featured as an symbol of the city, showing up at gatherings and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a enduring symbol of Las Vegas spectacle,” the expert says.

The Allure of Escape

Hardy says the complete change of a showgirl is part of the allure. It’s something Taylor Swift alludes to in a new docuseries that captures the off-camera action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, gym sessions and numerous shows across dozens of cities, each going on for 3.5 hours.

The performer describes her own showgirl performances as “like running a marathon in stilettos every night”. Her feathered headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the steps to the performance area from the backstage area three floors below in the underground. I had to leave early for my cue so I could recover before I performed. One is sweating the whole time but crafting this image that it’s simple and gorgeous and ethereal.”

It could be this is where the fascination of the showgirl fantasy really is found. In the complexity of 2025 there is a longing for fantasy. Who better to turn to than such icons, who have always embodied make-believe, perfection and a realm where nobody misses a mark.