Why 'Showgirl Glamour' Transformed into the Dazzling Look of This Year

After a three-decade tenure on the iconic Vegas strip, the dancers from the production Jubilee! gave one last choreographed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, known for its intricate costumes crafted by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to dwindling audience numbers and unimpressed commentators who described it as a spectacle “trapped in time”.

Currently, roughly eight years later, the showgirl persona, or at least the glamorous showgirl look, is experiencing a revival.

The Master of Sequins

Referred to as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made dramatic showgirl glamour his signature style, clothing everyone from screen legends to music superstars. Earlier this month, a “barely-there” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, well over its projected value, while a metallic tasseled bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more attractive for the emerging artists who is desiring something other than what they knew from childhood”, he stated in an interview with a newspaper. “New stars are striving for a theatrical, more dramatic, show-stopping, memorable statement.”

The Mainstream Resurgence

It’s a look that made its way all the way to the epicenter of popular culture in 2025 thanks to Taylor Swift. Recently, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The bedazzled bra and thong, feathered armbands and sparkly headpiece were perfect for a record called The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift has company. This year, showgirl inspirations have been adopted by music artists including Sabrina Carpenter as they whizzed across world tours in sequins, strategic openings and plumes, spotlighted against theatrical sets. A top stylist Lorenzo Posocco told Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the 1950s, Lipa’s dancers wafted giant ostrich feather fans.

Drawing from History

Lipa, Carpenter and other hitmakers also draw on classic performances, including classic theater and ensemble references. The final look are poles apart from the 1990s era teen pop of short shirts and baggy pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that preceded this trend.

But some critics are convinced with this showgirl renaissance. Nancy Hardy, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the 00s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “treated as an broad label encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even modern pop stars.”

A Coveted Classic Look

For millennial and millennial stars, Mackie’s vintage designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, a style icon honored to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the star wore a see-through embellished dress made by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, another pop star paid an private amount to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a trio of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among fashion collectors.

“This style bring about fond memories for a historical elegance,” says an archivist, a curator at the an academic institution, who researches the legacy of showgirls. “Now it is seen as a sort of ‘acceptable’ sexy because it has been updated. It has got all the glamour, the crystals and the glitter but without the exposure.”

A Than Simply Style: An Symbol of Las Vegas

The expert says this figure are central to the identity of Sin City. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was flanked by two showgirls. While Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-centric productions, the historian says they are still featured as an logo of the city, showing up at corporate events and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a lasting symbol of Vegas glamour,” she says.

The Allure of Illusion

Nancy Hardy says the magical transformation of a showgirl persona is part of the allure. It’s something the singer references in a recent behind-the-scenes film that documents the behind-the-scenes action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense preparations, training and 149 shows across multiple nations, each going on for 3.5 hours.

The performer describes her own nights in the spotlight as “comparable to completing an endurance race in heels every night”. Her headpiece weighed 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the steps to the stage from the backstage area three floors below in the basement. I had to leave early for my moment so I could recover before I performed. You are sweating the whole time but maintaining this image that it’s effortless and stunning and dreamlike.”

Perhaps this is where the true allure of the showgirl really lies. In the chaos of 2025 there is a craving for escapism. What better figure to turn to than such icons, who have always personified make-believe, perfection and a realm where no one misses a mark.