🔗 Share this article Why 'Showgirl Glamour' Emerged as the Glittering Style of the New Year After a three-decade tenure on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the showgirls from the revue Jubilee! gave one last choreographed kick in 2016. The production, renowned for its intricate costumes designed by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to falling audience numbers and unimpressed critics who labeled it a spectacle “stuck in the past”. Today, almost a decade later, the showgirl, or at least the showgirl style, is back. The Sultan of Sequins Known as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made over-the-top showgirl glitz his signature style, outfitting everyone from Marilyn Monroe to pop royalty. Recently, a “barely-there” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, well over its estimated price, while a shimmering fringed bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200. “In my view it looks more enticing for the emerging artists who is desiring something other than what they were accustomed to”, he stated in an interview with a media outlet. “Contemporary performers are pushing toward a glamorous, more spectacular, show-stopping, grand statement.” A Musical Resurgence It’s a look that made its way all the way to the epicenter of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 largely due to Taylor Swift. Earlier this year, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The bedazzled bra and thong, plumed armbands and shimmering headpiece were ideal for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl. She is part of a trend. This year, showgirl inspirations have been adopted by music artists including Miley Cyrus as they danced across world tours in sequins, cut-outs and plumes, spotlighted against overstated sets. Lipa’s stylist a fashion expert told Vogue he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the 1950s, Lipa’s dancers fluttered giant feathered fans. Pulling from History These artists and other chart toppers also draw on historical performances, including burlesque and dance line references. The outcome are worlds away from the 90s pop style of short shirts and baggy pants, and street-style dance moves that preceded this trend. But some critics are enthusiastic with this showgirl renaissance. A former performer, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the early 2000s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “employed as an broad label including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly modern pop stars.” The Highly Sought-After Vintage Style For gen Z and young adult stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, a famous actress paid tribute to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the actor wore a see-through embellished dress created by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, Miley Cyrus paid an significant price to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a series of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among vintage enthusiasts. “This style inspire fond memories for a bygone era of glitz,” says an archivist, an expert at the an academic institution, who documents the history of showgirls. “Today it is seen as a sort of ‘acceptable’ appeal because it has been updated. It has got all the sophistication, the sparkles and the sparkle but without the bare skin.” More Than Just Style: An Symbol of Las Vegas Chung says the showgirl image are key to the identity of Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was surrounded by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas no longer has any traditional showgirl productions, Chung says they are still employed as an emblem of the city, appearing at conventions and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a enduring icon of Vegas glamour,” Chung says. An Allure of Transformation The former showgirl says the magical transformation of a showgirl is part of the appeal. It’s something the singer alludes to in a latest documentary series that captures the behind-the-scenes action from her year-long 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, training and numerous concerts across 21 countries, each lasting 3.5 hours. She describes her own nights in the spotlight as “comparable to completing an endurance race in high heels every night”. Her headpiece weighed 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the steps to the performance area from the green rooms three floors below in the lower level. I had to start early for my entrance so I could catch my breath before I went on stage. You are working hard the whole time but maintaining this fantasy that it’s simple and beautiful and dreamlike.” Maybe this is where the true allure of the showgirl really lies. In the complexity of 2025 there is a craving for escapism. Is there anyone better to emulate than showgirls, who have always embodied make-believe, idealism and a realm where nobody makes a mistake.