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After a long-running tenure on the Las Vegas strip, the dancers from the revue Jubilee! took a final choreographed kick in 2016. The show, famous for its intricate costumes designed by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to declining audience numbers and disappointed reviewers who labeled it a spectacle “stuck in the past”.

Now, almost a decade later, showgirls, or at least the glamorous showgirl look, is back.

The Master of Glitz

Known as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made dramatic stage sparkle his signature style, clothing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna. In a recent auction, a “naked” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, far exceeding its projected value, while a silver and gold beaded bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more appealing for the new generation of stars who is seeking something other than what they knew from childhood”, he stated in an interview with a media outlet. “Contemporary performers are pushing toward a theatrical, more spectacular, breathtaking, entrance-making statement.”

The Musical Revival

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the epicenter of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 thanks to a global pop icon. Recently, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, feathered armbands and shimmering headpiece were ideal for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

She isn't alone. This year, showgirl references have been embraced by music artists including Sabrina Carpenter as they whizzed across world tours in glitter, revealing designs and plumes, highlighted against theatrical sets. Lipa’s stylist her creative director told a style publication he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the mid-century, Lipa’s dancers waved giant feathered fans.

Pulling from the Past

Lipa, Carpenter and other hitmakers also draw on historical performances, including classic theater and ensemble references. The outcome are worlds away from the late-century pop style of short shirts and baggy pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that were popular earlier.

But not everyone are enthusiastic with this glamour resurgence. A former performer, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “used as an broad label including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly Taylor Swift.”

A Highly Sought-After Retro Style

For younger and young adult stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, Zendaya honored to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the star wore a see-through beaded dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, Miley Cyrus paid an significant price to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn earlier in the year to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a collection of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among vintage enthusiasts.

“The showgirl aesthetic evoke nostalgia for a past glamour,” says an archivist, an expert at the University of Nevada, who researches the story of showgirls. “Today it is seen as a sort of ‘acceptable’ appeal because it has been modified. It has got all the glamour, the crystals and the shine but without the bare skin.”

A Than Just Style: An Symbol of Vegas

She says this figure are integral to the imagery of Las Vegas. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was flanked by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-based productions, Chung says they are still featured as an emblem of the city, appearing at gatherings and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a lasting icon of Las Vegas spectacle,” Chung says.

The Appeal of Escape

Hardy says the magical transformation of a stage character is part of the appeal. It’s something the singer references in a new behind-the-scenes film that captures the backstage action from her year-long 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting rehearsals, training and countless performances across 21 countries, each going on for 3.5 hours.

Hardy describes her own nights in the spotlight as “like running a marathon in heels every night”. Her headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the stairs to the platform from the green rooms three floors below in the lower level. I had to start early for my moment so I could catch my breath before I went on stage. You’re sweating the whole time but creating this illusion that it’s effortless and stunning and magical.”

Perhaps this is where the true allure of the showgirl fantasy really resides. In the complexity of 2025 there is a craving for fantasy. Is there anyone better to turn to than showgirls, who have always personified fantasy, flawlessness and a world where nobody makes a mistake.