Following a 31-year stint on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the showgirls from the production Jubilee! gave one last choreographed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, known for its intricate costumes created by style icon Bob Mackie, ended its run due to falling audience numbers and critical critics who described it as a spectacle “a relic of another era”.
Today, roughly eight years later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl style, is making a comeback.
A King of Glitz
Referred to as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made over-the-top showgirl glitz his signature style, clothing everyone from screen legends to pop royalty. Recently, a “see-through” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, well over its projected value, while a shimmering fringed bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.
“I think it looks more enticing for the younger performer who is looking for something other than what they were accustomed to”, he explained to a newspaper. “Contemporary performers are striving for a glamorous, more theatrical, show-stopping, memorable statement.”
A Pop Culture Revival
It’s a look that glided all the way to the heart of popular culture in 2025 thanks to a chart-topping superstar. Recently, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, plumed armbands and glittering headpiece were perfect for a record called The Life of a Showgirl.
Swift is part of a trend. This year, glamorous nods have been embraced by singers including Dua Lipa as they danced across world tours in sequins, revealing designs and feathers, illuminated against theatrical sets. Lipa’s stylist her creative director explained to a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the 50s, the backup dancers fluttered giant ostrich feather fans.
Pulling from History
These artists and other hitmakers also take inspiration from classic entertainment forms, including classic theater and dance line references. The results are worlds away from the 1990s era Britney Spears era of crop tops and baggy pants, and street-style dance moves that came before them.
But not everyone are on board with this showgirl renaissance. An ex-showgirl, a former Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the early 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “employed as an umbrella term encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even modern pop stars.”
The Coveted Retro Look
For gen Z and young adult stars, Mackie’s vintage designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, Zendaya paid tribute to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actress 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, Miley Cyrus paid an significant price 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.
“The showgirl aesthetic inspire nostalgia for a historical elegance,” says Su Kim Chung, a curator at the an academic institution, who documents the story of showgirls. “Today it is viewed as a sort of ‘toned-down’ allure because it has been updated. It has got all the elegance, the crystals and the sparkle but without the exposure.”
More Than Simply Style: An Symbol of Vegas
Chung says this figure are integral to the imagery of Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was accompanied by two showgirls. While Las Vegas does not host any showgirl-based productions, the historian says they are still used as an symbol of the city, being present at conventions and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a lasting icon of Las Vegas spectacle,” Chung says.
The Allure of Illusion
The former showgirl says the complete change of a stage character is part of the attraction. This idea Swift references in a recent documentary series that documents the backstage action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, workouts and countless shows across dozens of cities, each going on for 3.5 hours.
Hardy recalls her own showgirl performances as “similar to running a marathon in stilettos every night”. Her headpiece weighed 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the steps to the platform from the dressing rooms three floors below in the lower level. I had to head up ahead of time for my cue so I could rest before I performed. You are sweating the whole time but maintaining this image that it’s easy and beautiful and magical.”
It could be this is where the appeal of the showgirl fantasy really lies. In the chaos of 2025 there is a desire for escapism. Is there anyone better to look to than these performers, who have always embodied dreams, idealism and a universe where no one misses a mark.
