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After a 31-year tenure on the iconic Vegas strip, the showgirls from the revue Jubilee! gave one last choreographed kick in 2016. The show, known for its elaborate costumes created by style icon Bob Mackie, came to an end due to declining audience numbers and critical reviewers who called it a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Today, nearly ten years later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is making a comeback.

A Sultan of Glitz

Referred to as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made theatrical stage sparkle his trademark look, outfitting everyone from Marilyn Monroe to music superstars. In a recent auction, a “naked” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, well over its estimated price, while a metallic tasseled bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more appealing for the new generation of stars who is looking for something other than what they grew up with”, he told a newspaper. “New stars are pushing toward a theatrical, more theatrical, show-stopping, memorable statement.”

A Pop Culture Resurgence

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the epicenter of popular culture in 2025 thanks to a global pop icon. In the past few months, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, ostrich-feather armbands and sparkly headpiece were tailor-made for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift isn't alone. This year, glamorous nods have been incorporated by pop stars including Sabrina Carpenter as they zoomed across concert platforms in sequins, strategic openings and plumes, spotlighted against overstated sets. Her fashion curator her creative director told Vogue he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the mid-century, her performers fluttered giant plumed accessories.

Drawing from History

These artists and other hitmakers also reference 19th-century performances, including classic theater and ensemble references. The results are vastly different from the late-century teen pop of crop tops and cargo pants, and street-style dance moves that preceded this trend.

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

A Coveted Classic Look

For younger and millennial 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 actor wore a translucent sequined dress created by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, Miley Cyrus paid an private amount to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a trio of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among collectors.

“Showgirls evoke nostalgia for a historical elegance,” says Su Kim Chung, head of special collections at the an academic institution, who documents the legacy of showgirls. “Currently it is seen as a sort of ‘toned-down’ allure because it has been updated. It has got all the glamour, the crystals and the shine but without the exposure.”

A Than Simply Style: An Symbol of Vegas

She says the showgirl image are key to the imagery 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-based productions, Jung says they are still used as an symbol of the city, showing up at conventions and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a lasting figure of Las Vegas spectacle,” Chung says.

The Appeal of Illusion

Nancy Hardy says the magical transformation of a showgirl persona is part of the allure. This idea Swift alludes to in a new behind-the-scenes film that captures the backstage action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, training and numerous concerts across 21 countries, each going on for 3.5 hours.

She explains her own stage routines as “similar to extreme physical exertion in high heels every night”. Her headpiece was 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the steps to the platform from the backstage area three floors below in the lower level. I had to head up ahead of time for my moment so I could catch my breath before I made my entrance. You’re working hard the whole time but maintaining this fantasy that it’s simple and stunning and dreamlike.”

Perhaps this is where the appeal of the showgirl fantasy really is found. In the busyness of 2025 there is a desire for escapism. Who better to turn to than these performers, who have always personified make-believe, perfection and a universe where no one falters.