Why 'Showgirl Glamour' Became the Sparkling Aesthetic of This Year

After a 31-year tenure on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the performers from the revue Jubilee! executed their last perfectly timed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, known for its elaborate costumes created by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to falling audience numbers and critical reviewers who described it as a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Now, nearly ten years later, the showgirl persona, or at least the glamorous showgirl look, is experiencing a revival.

A Master of Glitz

Referred to as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made dramatic stage sparkle his trademark look, clothing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna. Earlier this month, a “barely-there” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, seven times its estimated price, while a metallic tasseled bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more appealing for the younger performer who is looking for something other than what they grew up with”, he stated in an interview with a newspaper. “Today's artists are pushing toward a show-stopping, more spectacular, attention-grabbing, grand statement.”

The Pop Culture Comeback

It’s a look that made its way all the way to the epicenter of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 propelled by Taylor Swift. In the past few months, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, plumed armbands and sparkly headpiece were ideal for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift is part of a trend. This year, glamorous nods have been embraced by pop stars including Miley Cyrus as they whizzed across world tours in sparkles, cut-outs and feathers, illuminated against overstated sets. A top stylist Lorenzo Posocco explained to a style publication he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the mid-century, the backup dancers fluttered giant plumed accessories.

Pulling from History

Modern stars and other chart toppers also take inspiration from 19th-century performances, including classic theater and ensemble references. The final look are poles apart from the 90s pop style of crop tops and baggy pants, and street-style dance moves that were popular earlier.

But some critics are convinced with this showgirl revival. A former performer, a former Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the 2000s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word term is being “used as an broad label covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently Taylor Swift.”

The Highly Sought-After Classic Style

For gen Z and millennial stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, a style icon paid tribute to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the star wore a translucent beaded dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, a singer paid an private amount to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a trio of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among vintage enthusiasts.

“The showgirl aesthetic evoke nostalgia for a past glamour,” says an archivist, head of special collections at the University of Nevada, who researches the legacy of showgirls. “Currently it is seen as a sort of ‘toned-down’ appeal because it has been adapted. It has got all the sophistication, the crystals and the glitter but without the bare skin.”

More Than Just Style: An Symbol of Vegas

The expert says showgirls are central to the iconography of Las Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was flanked by two showgirls. While Las Vegas does not host any showgirl-based productions, Chung says they are still featured as an emblem of the city, being present at gatherings and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a enduring figure of Vegas spectacle,” the expert says.

The Allure of Escape

The former showgirl says the complete change of a stage character is part of the allure. It’s something Swift references in a recent documentary series that captures the off-camera action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting preparations, gym sessions and numerous concerts across 21 countries, each running for 3.5 hours.

Hardy describes her own stage routines as “like completing an endurance race in heels every night”. Her headpiece was 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the steps to the stage from the dressing rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to head up ahead of time for my entrance so I could rest before I went on stage. One is sweating the whole time but maintaining this image that it’s effortless and beautiful and ethereal.”

It could be this is where the fascination of the showgirl really is found. In the busyness of 2025 there is a desire for a break from reality. Is there anyone better to look to than such icons, who have always personified dreams, flawlessness and a realm where nobody makes a mistake.