Following a 31-year tenure on the iconic Vegas strip, the dancers from the production Jubilee! gave one last choreographed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, known for its ornate costumes crafted by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to declining audience numbers and disappointed critics who called it a spectacle “stuck in the past”.
Today, almost a decade later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl style, is back.
The Master of Sequins
Referred to as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made over-the-top showgirl glamour his trademark look, outfitting everyone from Marilyn Monroe to pop royalty. Recently, a “naked” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, well over its initial estimate, while a shimmering tasseled bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200.
“I think it looks more attractive for the emerging artists who is desiring something other than what they grew up with”, he stated in an interview with a newspaper. “Today's artists are striving for a show-stopping, more theatrical, show-stopping, entrance-making statement.”
A Pop Culture Revival
It’s a look that made its way all the way to the heart of mainstream fashion in 2025 largely due to Taylor Swift. 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, plumed armbands and shimmering headpiece were perfect for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.
Swift is part of a trend. This year, glamorous nods have been incorporated by music artists including Miley Cyrus as they whizzed across arena stages in glitter, strategic openings and feathers, illuminated against camp sets. Her fashion curator a fashion expert told a style publication he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the mid-century, her performers waved giant plumed accessories.
Drawing from the Past
Modern stars and other successful musicians also reference 19th-century performances, including vaudeville and chorus line references. The final look are poles apart from the 1990s era pop style of revealing tops and cargo pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that were popular earlier.
But not everyone are convinced with this glamour resurgence. A former performer, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the 00s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word term is being “employed as an broad label covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even modern pop stars.”
A Coveted Retro Style
For millennial and millennial stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, a style icon honored to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the actress wore a see-through beaded dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, a singer paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a trio of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among fashion collectors.
“The showgirl aesthetic evoke a sense of longing for a past glamour,” says an archivist, an expert at the an academic institution, who researches the story of showgirls. “Now it is viewed as a sort of ‘toned-down’ sexy because it has been adapted. It has got all the glamour, the crystals and the shine but without the exposure.”
More Than Just Style: An Icon of Vegas
The expert says the showgirl image are central to the identity of Las Vegas. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was accompanied by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-centric productions, Chung says they are still featured as an symbol of the city, appearing at conventions and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a remaining figure of Las Vegas glamour,” the expert says.
The Allure of Escape
The former showgirl says the complete change of a stage character is part of the attraction. It’s something the singer hints at in a new documentary series that captures the behind-the-scenes action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting preparations, training and numerous shows across multiple nations, each going on for 3.5 hours.
Hardy describes her own showgirl performances as “like extreme physical exertion in stilettos every night”. Her headdress tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the staircase to the platform from the backstage area three floors below in the basement. I had to leave early for my entrance so I could catch my breath before I went on stage. One is working hard the whole time but maintaining this illusion that it’s simple and stunning and magical.”
Maybe this is where the appeal of the showgirl really lies. In the chaos of 2025 there is a longing for fantasy. What better figure to emulate than showgirls, who have always represented make-believe, idealism and a universe where no one falters.
