After a three-decade stint on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the dancers from the spectacle Jubilee! took a final synchronised kick in 2016. The production, known for its intricate costumes designed by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to falling audience numbers and disappointed critics who labeled it a spectacle “trapped in time”.
Now, roughly eight years later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl style, is experiencing a revival.
A King of Sparkle
Referred to as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glamour his trademark look, clothing everyone from screen legends to pop royalty. Recently, a “see-through” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, well over its projected value, while a silver and gold fringed bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200.
“In my view it looks more attractive for the new generation of stars who is seeking something other than what they grew up with”, he told a publication. “Contemporary performers are embracing a show-stopping, more dramatic, attention-grabbing, grand statement.”
A Mainstream Comeback
It’s a look that made its way all the way to the epicenter of mainstream fashion in 2025 largely due to a global pop icon. Earlier this year, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The bedazzled bra and thong, plumed armbands and shimmering headpiece were ideal for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.
The singer has company. This year, showgirl references have been embraced by singers including Dua Lipa as they zoomed across concert platforms in glitter, revealing designs and ostrich feathers, spotlighted against camp sets. Lipa’s stylist a fashion expert told a style publication he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the mid-century, the backup dancers wafted giant feathered fans.
Pulling from Tradition
These artists and other hitmakers also reference classic entertainment forms, including burlesque and ensemble references. The outcome are vastly different from the late-century teen pop of crop tops and utilitarian trousers, and urban dance moves that came before them.
But not everyone are enthusiastic with this glamour resurgence. A former performer, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the 2000s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word term is being “used as an umbrella term covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even today's icons.”
A Coveted Classic Look
For millennial and millennial stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, a style icon paid tribute to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the actor wore a see-through sequined dress created by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, another pop star paid an significant price to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a trio of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among vintage enthusiasts.
“The showgirl aesthetic bring about a sense of longing for a past glamour,” says a historian, head of special collections at the a Las Vegas university, who researches the history of showgirls. “Now it is seen as a sort of ‘safe’ sexy because it has been updated. It has got all the glamour, the crystals and the glitter but without the bare skin.”
A Than Simply Style: An Icon of Las Vegas
The expert says showgirls are integral to the identity of Las Vegas. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was surrounded by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-based productions, the historian says they are still used as an logo of the city, being present at gatherings and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a enduring icon of Vegas glitz and glamour,” the expert says.
The Appeal of Illusion
Hardy says the magical transformation of a showgirl persona is part of the attraction. It’s something Swift alludes to in a new docuseries that documents the off-camera action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting preparations, gym sessions and countless performances across dozens of cities, each lasting 3.5 hours.
She recalls her own nights in the spotlight as “like running a marathon in stilettos every night”. Her feathered headdress tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the steps to the performance area from the green rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to leave early for my entrance so I could catch my breath before I performed. You are sweating the whole time but creating this fantasy that it’s effortless and gorgeous and ethereal.”
Perhaps this is where the fascination of the showgirl really lies. In the chaos of 2025 there is a craving for escapism. Is there anyone better to look to than showgirls, who have always represented fantasy, flawlessness and a realm where no one falters.
