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

Following a long-running run on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the dancers from the revue Jubilee! executed their last synchronised kick in 2016. The show, famous for its elaborate costumes crafted by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to dwindling audience numbers and unimpressed reviewers who described it as a spectacle “trapped in time”.

Now, almost a decade later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is back.

A Master of Sparkle

Known as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made over-the-top showgirl glitz his defining aesthetic, clothing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna. In a recent auction, a “see-through” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, seven times its initial estimate, while a metallic fringed bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more appealing for the emerging artists who is looking for something other than what they were accustomed to”, he stated in an interview with a newspaper. “New stars are striving for a theatrical, more dramatic, attention-grabbing, grand statement.”

The Mainstream Comeback

It’s a look that made its way all the way to the centre of popular culture in 2025 thanks to Taylor Swift. Recently, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The crystal-covered bra and thong, plumed armbands and shimmering headpiece were ideal for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift is part of a trend. This year, showgirl inspirations have been adopted by pop stars including Dua Lipa as they whizzed across arena stages in sequins, cut-outs and feathers, highlighted against theatrical sets. Her fashion curator her creative director told a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the mid-century, Lipa’s dancers waved giant plumed accessories.

Drawing from the Past

Lipa, Carpenter and other successful musicians also reference historical performances, including vaudeville and dance line references. The final look are worlds away from the 90s pop style of revealing tops and cargo pants, and street-style dance moves that preceded this trend.

But not everyone are convinced with this showgirl revival. Nancy Hardy, a former Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “treated as an catch-all phrase including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even Taylor Swift.”

The Coveted Retro Look

For millennial and young adult stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, Zendaya honored to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actor wore a translucent embellished dress created by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, another pop star paid an private amount to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a series of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among fashion collectors.

“This style inspire nostalgia for a past glamour,” says Su Kim Chung, an expert at the University of Nevada, who researches the story of showgirls. “Now it is viewed as a sort of ‘safe’ allure because it has been updated. It has got all the glamour, the crystals and the sparkle but without the exposure.”

More Than Simply Fashion: An Icon of Las Vegas

She says this figure are central to the identity of Vegas. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was accompanied by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas currently lacks any traditional showgirl productions, the historian says they are still used as an emblem of the city, being present at gatherings and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a lasting icon of Las Vegas glamour,” she says.

An Appeal of Transformation

Nancy Hardy says the magical transformation of a showgirl persona is part of the appeal. This idea Swift hints at in a recent behind-the-scenes film that documents the backstage action from her year-long 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling rehearsals, workouts and numerous concerts across dozens of cities, each going on for 3.5 hours.

She recalls her own nights in the spotlight as “like extreme physical exertion in heels every night”. Her headdress tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the staircase to the stage from the dressing rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to start early for my cue so I could catch my breath before I made my entrance. You are perspiring the whole time but crafting this image that it’s effortless and gorgeous and dreamlike.”

It could be this is where the appeal of the showgirl fantasy really is found. In the busyness of 2025 there is a craving for a break from reality. What better figure to look to than showgirls, who have always embodied make-believe, idealism and a universe where nobody falters.