Following a long-running tenure on the iconic Vegas strip, the showgirls from the spectacle Jubilee! took a final choreographed kick in 2016. The production, known for its ornate costumes created by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to dwindling audience numbers and disappointed commentators who described it as a spectacle “stuck in the past”.
Today, nearly ten years later, the showgirl, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is making a comeback.
The Master of Glitz
Referred to as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made over-the-top stage sparkle his signature style, outfitting everyone from screen legends to pop royalty. Earlier this month, a “naked” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, seven times its projected value, while a metallic beaded bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200.
“In my view it looks more attractive for the younger performer who is desiring something other than what they grew up with”, he stated in an interview with a publication. “Contemporary performers are embracing a theatrical, more theatrical, attention-grabbing, memorable statement.”
The Pop Culture Resurgence
It’s a look that made its way all the way to the heart of mainstream fashion in 2025 propelled by Taylor Swift. In the past few months, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The bedazzled bra and thong, feathered armbands and sparkly headpiece were ideal for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.
The singer isn't alone. This year, showgirl inspirations have been incorporated by music artists including Miley Cyrus as they danced across concert platforms in sparkles, revealing designs and feathers, highlighted against theatrical sets. A top stylist a fashion expert explained to a style publication he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the 50s, her performers waved giant feathered fans.
Drawing from the Past
Lipa, Carpenter and other chart toppers also draw on classic performances, including vaudeville and dance line references. The final look are poles apart from the 1990s era pop style of revealing tops and cargo pants, and street-style dance moves that were popular earlier.
But certain observers are convinced with this showgirl renaissance. A former performer, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the early 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “employed as an umbrella term covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently Taylor Swift.”
A Highly Sought-After Classic Style
For gen Z and millennial stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, a famous actress gave a nod to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actress wore a see-through beaded dress made by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, Miley Cyrus paid an private amount to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a collection of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among collectors.
“This style bring about a sense of longing for a past glamour,” says a historian, an expert at the University of Nevada, who researches the history of showgirls. “Today it is considered a sort of ‘safe’ sexy because it has been updated. It has got all the elegance, the sparkles and the sparkle but without the bare skin.”
A Than Simply Style: An Icon of the City
She says the showgirl image are central to the iconography of Las Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was accompanied by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas currently lacks any traditional showgirl productions, Jung says they are still featured as an logo of the city, appearing at conventions and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a remaining icon of Vegas glitz and glamour,” she says.
An Appeal of Escape
Hardy says the magical transformation of a stage character is part of the attraction. It’s something Swift hints at in a new behind-the-scenes film that shows the backstage action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling rehearsals, gym sessions and countless concerts across dozens of cities, each running for 3.5 hours.
The performer describes her own showgirl performances as “like completing an endurance race in stilettos every night”. Her headdress was 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the stairs to the stage from the backstage area three floors below in the underground. I had to head up ahead of time for my moment so I could catch my breath before I made my entrance. One is working hard the whole time but maintaining this fantasy that it’s easy and stunning and dreamlike.”
It could be this is where the appeal of the showgirl fantasy really resides. In the complexity of 2025 there is a craving for a break from reality. Is there anyone better to look to than showgirls, who have always embodied fantasy, perfection and a world where nobody misses a mark.
