🔗 Share this article Why 'Showgirl Glamour' Emerged as the Sparkling Aesthetic of 2025 After a long-running run on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the performers from the production Jubilee! took a final perfectly timed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, renowned for its elaborate costumes crafted by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to declining audience numbers and unimpressed reviewers who labeled it a spectacle “trapped in time”. Currently, almost a decade later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl style, is back. The Master of Glitz Known as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made over-the-top stage sparkle his trademark look, outfitting everyone from screen legends to pop royalty. Recently, a “naked” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, seven times its projected value, while a silver and gold beaded bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance 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 stated in an interview with a publication. “New stars are striving for a theatrical, more spectacular, show-stopping, memorable statement.” The Pop Culture Resurgence It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the epicenter of popular culture in 2025 largely due to a chart-topping superstar. Earlier this year, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The crystal-covered bra and thong, feathered armbands and sparkly headpiece were ideal for a record named The Life of a Showgirl. Swift isn't alone. This year, showgirl inspirations have been adopted by pop stars including Miley Cyrus as they whizzed across arena stages in sequins, cut-outs and ostrich feathers, spotlighted against overstated sets. Lipa’s stylist her creative director told a style publication he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the 1950s, Lipa’s dancers fluttered giant feathered fans. Drawing from History Modern stars and other hitmakers also draw on classic entertainment forms, including burlesque and ensemble references. The results are worlds away from the 90s teen pop of crop tops and cargo pants, and urban dance moves that preceded this trend. But some critics are on board with this glamour resurgence. An ex-showgirl, a former Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the early 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “treated as an catch-all phrase covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even modern pop stars.” A Coveted Vintage Look For gen Z and modern stars, Mackie’s vintage designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, a style icon honored to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the star wore a translucent beaded dress made by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, a singer paid an significant price to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn earlier in the year to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a trio of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among vintage enthusiasts. “The showgirl aesthetic evoke fond memories for a bygone era of glitz,” says a historian, a curator at the a Las Vegas university, who researches the legacy of showgirls. “Today it is viewed as a sort of ‘toned-down’ allure because it has been adapted. It has got all the elegance, the rhinestones and the sparkle but without the exposure.” More Than Just Style: An Symbol of Las Vegas Chung says showgirls are integral to the imagery of Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was flanked by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas does not host any traditional showgirl productions, the historian says they are still employed as an logo of the city, being present at gatherings and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a remaining symbol of Vegas glamour,” she says. An Allure of Transformation Hardy says the transformative effect of a showgirl is part of the appeal. It’s something Swift alludes to in a new docuseries that captures the backstage action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling rehearsals, workouts and 149 performances across dozens of cities, each going on for 3.5 hours. Hardy describes her own showgirl performances as “similar to completing an endurance race in heels every night”. Her headpiece was 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the stairs to the performance area from the green rooms three floors below in the lower level. 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 crafting this fantasy that it’s simple and stunning and dreamlike.” It could be this is where the appeal of the showgirl really lies. In the chaos of 2025 there is a longing for a break from reality. Is there anyone better to emulate than showgirls, who have always personified make-believe, idealism and a world where no one misses a mark.