🔗 Share this article Why 'Showgirl Glamour' Emerged as the Sparkling Look of the New Year Following a long-running stint on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the performers from the production Jubilee! gave one last perfectly timed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, known for its elaborate costumes crafted by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to dwindling audience numbers and disappointed reviewers who described it as a spectacle “stuck in the past”. Currently, roughly eight years later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is making a comeback. The Sultan of Sequins Dubbed the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made over-the-top showgirl glamour his signature style, clothing everyone from screen legends to Madonna. Earlier this month, a “see-through” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, seven times its initial estimate, while a metallic beaded bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200. “In my view it looks more enticing for the new generation of stars who is looking for something other than what they were accustomed to”, he told a newspaper. “New stars are striving for a show-stopping, more spectacular, breathtaking, memorable statement.” The Pop Culture Revival It’s a look that made its way all the way to the epicenter of mainstream fashion in 2025 propelled by a global pop icon. In the past few months, 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 sparkly headpiece were tailor-made for a record called The Life of a Showgirl. The singer isn't alone. This year, glamorous nods have been adopted by music artists including Miley Cyrus as they zoomed across concert platforms in glitter, cut-outs and ostrich feathers, spotlighted against overstated sets. A top stylist her creative director mentioned in an interview with a style publication he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the mid-century, the backup dancers fluttered giant feathered fans. Pulling from Tradition These artists and other chart toppers also take inspiration from classic entertainment forms, including vaudeville and chorus line references. The outcome are worlds away from the 1990s era Britney Spears era of crop tops and baggy pants, and urban dance moves that were popular earlier. But certain observers are convinced with this glamour resurgence. An ex-showgirl, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the early 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “treated as an catch-all phrase covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly modern pop stars.” The Coveted Vintage Style For younger and young adult stars, Mackie’s vintage designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, Zendaya paid tribute to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the star wore a semi-sheer beaded dress created by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, Miley Cyrus paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn earlier in the year to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a collection of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among vintage enthusiasts. “The showgirl aesthetic bring about a sense of longing for a past glamour,” says an archivist, head of special collections at the a Las Vegas university, who documents the legacy of showgirls. “Currently it is considered a sort of ‘toned-down’ sexy because it has been updated. It has got all the glamour, the sparkles and the shine but without the nudity.” A Than Just Style: An Symbol of the City Chung says the showgirl image are key to the iconography of Sin City. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was flanked by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-centric productions, Chung says they are still used as an emblem of the city, being present at corporate events and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a lasting figure of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” she says. An Allure of Transformation The former showgirl says the complete change of a showgirl is part of the attraction. It’s something the singer alludes to in a new documentary series that shows the behind-the-scenes action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling preparations, training and numerous shows across dozens of cities, each running for 3.5 hours. She recalls her own stage routines as “similar to completing an endurance race in heels every night”. Her headdress was 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the stairs to the performance area from the green rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to leave early for my moment so I could recover before I performed. You are perspiring the whole time but creating this illusion that it’s effortless and stunning and dreamlike.” It could be this is where the fascination of the showgirl fantasy really resides. In the busyness of 2025 there is a desire for escapism. Is there anyone better to turn to than these performers, who have always represented dreams, flawlessness and a world where nobody misses a mark.