Following a three-decade run on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the dancers from the revue Jubilee! took a final synchronised kick in 2016. The show, renowned for its elaborate costumes crafted by style icon Bob Mackie, ended its run due to dwindling audience numbers and critical reviewers who described it as a spectacle “trapped in time”.
Currently, almost a decade later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl style, is experiencing a revival.
A Sultan of Sequins
Known as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made theatrical stage sparkle his signature style, outfitting everyone from Hollywood icons to Madonna. Recently, a “barely-there” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, far exceeding its estimated price, while a shimmering beaded bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.
“I believe it looks more attractive for the new generation of stars who is looking for something other than what they knew from childhood”, he told a media outlet. “New stars are pushing toward a theatrical, more theatrical, breathtaking, entrance-making statement.”
The Mainstream Resurgence
It’s a look that made its way all the way to the heart of popular culture in 2025 largely due to a global pop icon. In the past few months, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The crystal-covered bra and thong, ostrich-feather armbands and shimmering headpiece were perfect for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.
She has company. This year, glamorous nods have been incorporated by singers including Miley Cyrus as they zoomed across world tours in sparkles, revealing designs and feathers, spotlighted against overstated sets. A top stylist a fashion expert explained to a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the mid-century, the backup dancers fluttered giant ostrich feather fans.
Drawing from Tradition
These artists and other hitmakers also draw on 19th-century performances, including vaudeville and chorus line references. The results are vastly different from the late-century Britney Spears era of short shirts and baggy pants, and street-style dance moves that came before them.
But certain observers are on board with this glamour resurgence. A former performer, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the 00s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word term is being “treated as an catch-all phrase covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly Taylor Swift.”
A Coveted Vintage Style
For younger and modern stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, a famous actress honored to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the star wore a translucent embellished dress created by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, a singer paid an significant price to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a collection of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among collectors.
“This style inspire fond memories for a bygone era of glitz,” says a historian, an expert at the a Las Vegas university, who researches the history of showgirls. “Currently it is seen as a sort of ‘acceptable’ sexy because it has been updated. It has got all the glamour, the sparkles and the glitter but without the exposure.”
A Than Simply Fashion: An Icon of the City
The expert says showgirls are integral to the iconography of Sin City. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was flanked by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas currently lacks any showgirl-based productions, Chung says they are still employed as an emblem of the city, being present at gatherings and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a enduring symbol of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” the expert says.
The Allure of Escape
Nancy Hardy says the magical transformation of a showgirl persona is part of the attraction. This is a notion the singer hints at in a recent docuseries that captures the off-camera action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting rehearsals, workouts and numerous performances across dozens of cities, each lasting 3.5 hours.
The performer describes her own showgirl performances as “comparable to running a marathon in high heels every night”. Her feathered headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the steps to the platform from the backstage area three floors below in the underground. I had to head up ahead of time for my cue so I could rest before I performed. You’re perspiring the whole time but maintaining this image that it’s easy and beautiful and magical.”
It could be this is where the true allure of the showgirl really lies. In the complexity of 2025 there is a longing for a break from reality. Is there anyone better to turn to than these performers, who have always personified make-believe, perfection and a realm where no one misses a mark.
