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After a three-decade run on the Las Vegas strip, the dancers from the production Jubilee! executed their last perfectly timed kick in 2016. The show, famous for its intricate costumes crafted by style icon Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to falling audience numbers and critical critics who described it as a spectacle “trapped in time”.

Today, almost a decade later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl style, is back.

A Sultan of Sequins

Dubbed the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made over-the-top stage sparkle his trademark look, outfitting everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna. Earlier this month, a “naked” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, well over its initial estimate, while a metallic beaded bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more appealing for the new generation of stars who is desiring something other than what they were accustomed to”, he stated in an interview with a media outlet. “New stars are striving for a show-stopping, more spectacular, attention-grabbing, memorable statement.”

A Mainstream Resurgence

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the epicenter of popular culture in 2025 propelled by a chart-topping superstar. In the past few months, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The crystal-covered bra and thong, ostrich-feather armbands and sparkly headpiece were tailor-made for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

She is part of a trend. This year, glamorous nods have been incorporated by singers including Sabrina Carpenter as they whizzed across world tours in glitter, revealing designs and plumes, illuminated against overstated sets. Lipa’s stylist a fashion expert explained to a style publication he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the 1950s, Lipa’s dancers fluttered giant ostrich feather fans.

Pulling from the Past

These artists and other chart toppers also draw on historical performances, including vaudeville and dance line references. The final look are poles apart from the 1990s era Britney Spears era of revealing tops and baggy pants, and street-style dance moves that were popular earlier.

But not everyone are enthusiastic with this glamour resurgence. A former performer, a former Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the 2000s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word term is being “employed as an catch-all phrase including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently modern pop stars.”

A Highly Sought-After Vintage Style

For gen Z and millennial stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, a style icon honored to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the actor wore a see-through embellished dress created by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, a singer paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a series of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among vintage enthusiasts.

“The showgirl aesthetic bring about a sense of longing for a historical elegance,” says an archivist, an expert at the University of Nevada, who studies the story of showgirls. “Now it is considered a sort of ‘toned-down’ appeal because it has been adapted. It has got all the glamour, the crystals and the glitter but without the exposure.”

A Than Simply Style: An Icon of the City

Chung says this figure are central to the imagery of Sin City. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was surrounded by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas does not host any showgirl-centric productions, Chung says they are still employed as an logo of the city, being present at gatherings and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a lasting symbol of Vegas glamour,” Chung says.

An Allure of Escape

Hardy says the magical transformation of a showgirl is part of the appeal. This is a notion Taylor Swift references in a latest docuseries that shows the backstage action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense practice sessions, gym sessions and countless shows across dozens of cities, each going on for 3.5 hours.

Hardy describes her own stage routines as “comparable to completing an endurance race in stilettos every night”. Her feathered headdress was 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the staircase to the performance area from the backstage area three floors below in the underground. I had to head up ahead of time for my moment so I could recover before I performed. You’re sweating the whole time but maintaining this fantasy that it’s effortless and stunning and magical.”

Perhaps this is where the fascination of the showgirl really resides. In the busyness of 2025 there is a longing for fantasy. Is there anyone better to look to than such icons, who have always embodied make-believe, idealism and a world where nobody misses a mark.