The dazzling spectacle of the Las Vegas showgirl, a symbol many thought consigned to history, has strutted back into the spotlight to become the defining glamour trend of 2025. This revival, shimmering with sequins and feathers, has been propelled from the stage wings to the centre of global pop culture by none other than Taylor Swift.
From Vegas Obscurity to Pop Culture Dominance
The curtain finally fell on a major chapter of this legacy in 2016, when the famed Jubilee! revue ended its 31-year Las Vegas run. Critics had labelled it a spectacle "trapped in time," but its extravagant costumes, created by legendary designer Bob Mackie, left an indelible mark. Fast forward to today, and Mackie's theatrical creations are more coveted than ever.
Earlier this month, a "naked" bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 sold at auction for $57,600—seven times its estimate. The sparkle has now been fully embraced by a new generation. The catalyst was Taylor Swift, who wore an original Mackie Jubilee! costume on the cover of her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl.
A New Generation Embraces the Glitz
Swift is far from alone. On stages worldwide, stars like Sabrina Carpenter, Miley Cyrus, and Dua Lipa have championed the look. Lipa's stylist, Lorenzo Posocco, explicitly aimed to inject a "showgirl attitude" into her Radical Optimism tour, featuring dancers with giant feathered fans. This represents a stark shift from the casual crop-top era of the late 90s and early 2000s.
Bob Mackie himself credits the influence of performers like Beyoncé on this shift. "New stars are pushing toward a glamorous, more theatrical, show-stopping, entrance-making statement," he told the Guardian.
Debating the Definition of a Modern Showgirl
Not all who wore the headdress welcome the trend's broad application. Nancy Hardy, a former Jubilee! dancer from the 2000s, finds it "bemusing." She argues the term is now used as an umbrella for everything from Broadway to Taylor Swift, blurring historic hierarchies where showgirls were "more statuesque" and performed topless.
Today's interpretation, while not topless, cleverly alludes to nudity through sheer fabrics and flesh-toned panels—aligning with the wider 'naked dressing' trend. As Su Kim Chung, a showgirl historian, notes, it's now viewed as a "'safe' sexy... It has got all the glamour, the rhinestones and the sparkle but without the nudity."
Nostalgia, Escapism and the Illusion of Perfection
The appeal lies in more than just sequins. Su Kim Chung suggests showgirls "evoke nostalgia for a past glamour," remaining an emblem of Las Vegas even after the productions closed. This pseudo-glamour was explored in Gia Coppola's 2025 film The Last Showgirl, starring Pamela Anderson, which reflected on the closure of Jubilee!
Perhaps the core of the trend's resonance in 2025 is a desire for pure, flawless escapism. As Hardy describes, the original showgirls created an ethereal illusion of ease, despite the gruelling reality—like "running a marathon in high heels every night" while wearing a 34-pound headdress. In a chaotic world, the showgirl offers a fantasy of perfection where no one misses a mark, a fantasy today's pop icons are now selling to millions.
