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After a long-running run on the Las Vegas strip, the dancers from the spectacle Jubilee! took a final perfectly timed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, famous for its elaborate costumes designed by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to declining audience numbers and unimpressed reviewers who labeled it a spectacle “trapped in time”.

Now, roughly eight years later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is experiencing a revival.

A King of Sparkle

Known as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glitz his defining aesthetic, outfitting everyone from screen legends to music superstars. Earlier this month, a “see-through” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, far exceeding its initial estimate, while a metallic beaded bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“I think it looks more attractive for the new generation of stars who is desiring something other than what they grew up with”, he stated in an interview with a publication. “Today's artists are pushing toward a show-stopping, more spectacular, breathtaking, memorable statement.”

A Mainstream Revival

It’s a look that glided all the way to the heart of mainstream fashion in 2025 thanks to Taylor Swift. Earlier this year, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The bedazzled bra and thong, feathered armbands and glittering headpiece were tailor-made for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

The singer has company. This year, glamorous nods have been embraced by music artists including Miley Cyrus as they zoomed across arena stages in sparkles, revealing designs and plumes, highlighted against overstated sets. A top stylist Lorenzo Posocco told Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the 50s, the backup dancers fluttered giant feathered fans.

Pulling from the Past

Modern stars and other successful musicians also draw on historical performances, including classic theater and ensemble references. The final look are poles apart from the late-century Britney Spears era of crop tops and cargo pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that came before them.

But not everyone are convinced with this glamour resurgence. An ex-showgirl, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the 2000s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “employed as an umbrella term including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even today's icons.”

A Highly Sought-After Vintage Look

For younger and millennial stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, a famous actress paid tribute to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actress wore a see-through embellished dress made by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, another pop star paid an significant price to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn earlier in the year to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a series of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among vintage enthusiasts.

“This style inspire nostalgia for a past glamour,” says Su Kim Chung, head of special collections at the an academic institution, who documents the legacy of showgirls. “Now it is viewed as a sort of ‘toned-down’ appeal because it has been updated. It has got all the sophistication, the crystals and the glitter but without the exposure.”

More Than Just Fashion: An Icon of Las Vegas

Chung says the showgirl image are central to the identity of Las Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was flanked by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas currently lacks any traditional showgirl productions, Jung says they are still employed as an emblem of the city, being present at conventions and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a enduring icon of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” she says.

An Appeal of Illusion

Hardy says the magical transformation of a showgirl persona is part of the attraction. It’s something Taylor Swift references in a new documentary series that documents the off-camera action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense practice sessions, gym sessions and 149 shows across multiple nations, each running for 3.5 hours.

The performer describes her own nights in the spotlight as “comparable to completing an endurance race in stilettos every night”. Her headpiece was 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the staircase to the platform from the green rooms three floors below in the underground. I had to leave early for my moment so I could rest before I made my entrance. One is working hard the whole time but creating this fantasy that it’s easy and beautiful and magical.”

Maybe this is where the true allure of the showgirl fantasy really is found. In the busyness of 2025 there is a desire for escapism. Who better to look to than showgirls, who have always embodied make-believe, idealism and a universe where nobody falters.