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Following a 31-year stint on the iconic Vegas strip, the showgirls from the spectacle Jubilee! gave one last perfectly timed kick in 2016. The show, famous for its ornate costumes crafted by style icon Bob Mackie, came to an end due to declining audience numbers and disappointed critics who labeled it a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Now, almost a decade later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl style, is making a comeback.

The King of Glitz

Dubbed the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made over-the-top showgirl glamour his signature style, outfitting everyone from screen legends to Madonna. Recently, a “naked” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, seven times its projected value, while a metallic beaded bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“I think it looks more appealing for the new generation of stars who is desiring something other than what they grew up with”, he explained to a newspaper. “Contemporary performers are embracing a show-stopping, more dramatic, breathtaking, grand statement.”

The Mainstream Revival

It’s a look that glided all the way to the heart of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 largely due to a chart-topping superstar. Recently, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, ostrich-feather armbands and sparkly headpiece were perfect for a record called The Life of a Showgirl.

She has company. This year, showgirl references have been incorporated by pop stars including Sabrina Carpenter as they danced across arena stages in glitter, strategic openings and feathers, illuminated against theatrical sets. A top stylist a fashion expert explained to Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the 50s, her performers waved giant plumed accessories.

Pulling from History

Lipa, Carpenter and other chart toppers also reference 19th-century entertainment forms, including classic theater and dance line references. The final look are poles apart from the late-century pop style of short shirts and cargo pants, and urban dance moves that preceded this trend.

But certain observers are convinced with this showgirl revival. An ex-showgirl, a former Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word term is being “used as an umbrella term encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently today's icons.”

The Highly Sought-After Retro Look

For younger and modern stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, a famous actress gave a nod to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actress wore a semi-sheer embellished dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, a singer paid an private amount to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a series of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among collectors.

“This style bring about a sense of longing for a bygone era of glitz,” says an archivist, head of special collections at the a Las Vegas university, who documents the legacy of showgirls. “Today it is seen as a sort of ‘toned-down’ allure because it has been updated. It has got all the glamour, the rhinestones and the sparkle but without the bare skin.”

More Than Simply Fashion: An Symbol of the City

Chung says the showgirl image are key to the iconography of Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was flanked by two showgirls. While Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-centric productions, Jung says they are still used as an symbol of the city, showing up at corporate events and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a remaining symbol of Vegas glitz and glamour,” Chung says.

An Allure of Illusion

Hardy says the complete change of a showgirl persona is part of the allure. It’s something the singer references in a recent docuseries that captures the backstage action from her year-long 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, gym sessions and 149 performances across dozens of cities, each lasting 3.5 hours.

The performer describes her own nights in the spotlight as “like running a marathon in stilettos every night”. Her headpiece was 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the steps to the platform from the backstage area three floors below in the underground. I had to start early for my moment so I could rest before I went on stage. One is working hard the whole time but creating this image that it’s simple and beautiful and magical.”

It could be this is where the fascination of the showgirl really lies. In the chaos of 2025 there is a desire for a break from reality. Who better to emulate than such icons, who have always represented dreams, idealism and a world where nobody falters.