🔗 Share this article Why 'Showgirl' Emerged as the Glittering Aesthetic of 2025 After a long-running stint on the iconic Vegas strip, the performers from the revue Jubilee! gave one last choreographed kick in 2016. The show, famous for its intricate costumes created by style icon Bob Mackie, came to an end due to falling audience numbers and critical critics who labeled it a spectacle “stuck in the past”. Today, roughly eight years later, the showgirl persona, or at least the glamorous showgirl look, is experiencing a revival. A King of Sequins Referred to as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glamour his signature style, outfitting everyone from screen legends to pop royalty. Earlier this month, a “see-through” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, far exceeding its initial estimate, while a shimmering fringed bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200. “I believe it looks more attractive for the emerging artists who is looking for something other than what they were accustomed to”, he told a media outlet. “New stars are striving for a glamorous, more dramatic, breathtaking, memorable statement.” The Mainstream Resurgence It’s a look that made its way all the way to the centre of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 thanks to a chart-topping superstar. Earlier this year, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The crystal-covered bra and thong, feathered armbands and sparkly headpiece were ideal for a record called The Life of a Showgirl. Swift isn't alone. This year, showgirl references have been incorporated by pop stars including Miley Cyrus as they zoomed across arena stages in sequins, strategic openings and plumes, spotlighted against overstated sets. Her fashion curator a fashion expert explained to a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the 1950s, her performers fluttered giant plumed accessories. Pulling from History Lipa, Carpenter and other chart toppers also draw on classic performances, including vaudeville and dance line references. The results are worlds away from the 90s Britney Spears era of crop tops and baggy pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that were popular earlier. But certain observers are on board with this showgirl revival. An ex-showgirl, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the 00s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word term is being “employed as an broad label encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even today's icons.” A Highly Sought-After Classic Look For gen Z and modern stars, Mackie’s vintage designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, a famous actress honored to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actress wore a semi-sheer beaded dress made by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, Miley Cyrus paid an undisclosed sum 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 fashion collectors. “Showgirls bring about a sense of longing for a bygone era of glitz,” says a historian, a curator at the an academic institution, who documents the story of showgirls. “Today it is considered a sort of ‘acceptable’ sexy because it has been updated. It has got all the sophistication, the sparkles and the shine but without the bare skin.” A Than Simply Style: An Symbol of Vegas The expert says this figure are key to the imagery of Sin City. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was flanked by two showgirls. While Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-centric productions, Jung says they are still featured as an symbol of the city, showing up at conventions and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a enduring icon of Vegas glitz and glamour,” she says. An Appeal of Transformation Nancy Hardy says the magical transformation of a showgirl is part of the allure. This is a notion Swift hints at in a new docuseries that captures the backstage action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, workouts and numerous concerts across 21 countries, each running for 3.5 hours. She describes her own nights in the spotlight as “similar to extreme physical exertion in heels every night”. Her feathered headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the staircase to the stage from the dressing rooms three floors below in the lower level. I had to leave early for my entrance so I could recover before I made my entrance. You’re sweating the whole time but crafting this image that it’s simple and beautiful and magical.” It could be this is where the true allure of the showgirl really resides. In the busyness of 2025 there is a desire for a break from reality. Who better to turn to than showgirls, who have always represented make-believe, perfection and a world where no one falters.