After a three-decade stint on the iconic Vegas strip, the performers from the revue Jubilee! executed their last choreographed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, known for its intricate costumes crafted by style icon Bob Mackie, came to an end due to falling audience numbers and unimpressed reviewers who labeled it a spectacle “trapped in time”.
Today, almost a decade later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is back.
The King of Sequins
Referred to as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made theatrical stage sparkle his signature style, clothing everyone from screen legends to Madonna. In a recent auction, a “naked” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, far exceeding its estimated price, while a metallic fringed bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 show 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 media outlet. “New stars are pushing toward a theatrical, more theatrical, show-stopping, grand statement.”
The Pop Culture Revival
It’s a look that made its way all the way to the epicenter of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 thanks to Taylor Swift. Recently, the entertainment titan 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 sparkly headpiece were ideal for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.
The singer isn't alone. This year, glamorous nods have been embraced by music artists including Miley Cyrus as they zoomed across world tours in glitter, cut-outs and ostrich feathers, spotlighted against camp sets. Her fashion curator her creative director explained to a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the mid-century, the backup dancers wafted giant plumed accessories.
Drawing from History
Modern stars and other hitmakers also take inspiration from historical performances, including vaudeville and chorus line references. The final look are poles apart from the late-century pop style of crop tops and baggy pants, and street-style dance moves that came before them.
But some critics are on board with this glamour resurgence. A former performer, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the early 2000s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “used as an catch-all phrase including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly today's icons.”
The Highly Sought-After Classic Style
For gen Z 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 actor wore a see-through embellished dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, a singer paid an private amount to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn earlier in the year 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 hit among collectors.
“Showgirls evoke nostalgia for a historical elegance,” says a historian, head of special collections at the an academic institution, who documents the story of showgirls. “Currently it is considered a sort of ‘toned-down’ appeal because it has been updated. It has got all the elegance, the sparkles and the sparkle but without the nudity.”
A Than Simply Style: An Symbol of Las Vegas
She says showgirls are central to the identity of Sin City. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was surrounded by two showgirls. Although 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 marketing. “The showgirl is still a enduring icon of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” Chung says.
The Allure of Illusion
The former showgirl says the magical transformation of a stage character is part of the appeal. It’s something Swift alludes to in a latest documentary series that documents the off-camera action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting rehearsals, workouts and countless shows across multiple nations, each lasting 3.5 hours.
Hardy explains her own nights in the spotlight as “like extreme physical exertion in stilettos every night”. Her headpiece tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the staircase to the stage from the backstage area three floors below in the lower level. I had to start early for my entrance so I could recover before I performed. One is sweating the whole time but crafting this fantasy that it’s easy and stunning and ethereal.”
Perhaps this is where the appeal of the showgirl really resides. In the chaos of 2025 there is a desire for escapism. What better figure to turn to than showgirls, who have always represented dreams, idealism and a realm where nobody misses a mark.
