In line with our own Showgirl "Taylor Swift", The Vintage Mart theme for 2026 is "THE LIFE OF A SHOWGIRL"!

Below is some history, insights, movies & museums to read and enjoy!

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HISTORY

The history of the showgirl evolved from the mid-1700s term for a "showy" woman into a professional performer in the late 1800s, primarily in Paris's cabaret scene at venues like the Moulin Rouge and Folies Bergère. These European productions heavily influenced the large-scale Broadway shows like the Ziegfeld Follies and, later, the iconic Las Vegas showgirl, which became a permanent fixture of the city's entertainment landscape in the mid-20th century.

Think glitz, glamour, dazzling, featured, larger than life!

Early origins and European development

1700s–1800s:

The term "showgirl" first appeared to describe women who acted in a "showy" way. By the early 1800s, newspapers began applying the term to performers, such as in the 1808 London melodrama "Lilian, the Show Girl".
Late 1800s:

Paris became a hub for showgirls during the Belle Époque. Venues like the Moulin Rouge and Folies Bergère emerged, offering a mix of entertainment, dance, and risque performances that included the high-kicking can-can.
1910s–1920s:

American audiences were introduced to the European-style showgirl through Broadway revues like the Ziegfeld Follies, which began in 1907. These shows featured large casts, elaborate costumes, and a combination of song, dance, and comedy.
1930s–1940s:

The style continued to evolve, with Hollywood films and the iconic Bluebell Girls troupe, founded by Margaret Kelly in 1932, further popularizing the image.

Las Vegas era

1940s–1950s:

Symbol of the City - The Las Vegas showgirl was directly influenced by the European and Broadway traditions. The first casino to feature dancers as a diversion was the El Rancho Vegas in 1941.
1950s–1960s:

Las Vegas became synonymous with lavish showgirl productions, with hotels like the Flamingo, Sands, and Tropicana featuring them as a major attraction to draw gamblers. Shows like the Casino de Paris were brought to the Strip, solidifying the showgirl as an unofficial icon of the city.
Late 20th Century:

Shows like Jubilee!, which opened in 1981, represented the peak of the large-scale production, featuring dozens of showgirls and incredibly elaborate costumes and sets, notes UNLV Libraries.
Present Day & Cultural impact and legacy:

While large-scale revues are less common, the showgirl legacy continues in Las Vegas, with many historical productions and performers being documented and preserved, UNLV Libraries.

Pop culture fascination: Despite their declining presence on stage, showgirls remain a powerful symbol in pop culture, appearing in films like the 1995 erotic drama Showgirls and 2024's The Last Showgirl.

Enduring aesthetic: The aesthetic, especially the sparkling, over-the-top costumes, continues to influence pop culture, as seen in artists like Taylor Swift & Kylie Minogue, Pam Anderson,

Modern-day ambassadors: While large-scale productions are rare, the role of the showgirl continue today through ambassadors who promote the city at events and ceremonies.

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Pop superstar Taylor Swift often pulls from literary and cultural references in her music. For the theme of her latest album, she’s turned to an iconic part of Las Vegas history: the showgirl.

There’s nowhere better to learn about showgirl history than the UNLV University Libraries Special Collections & Archives. On the day of Swift’s latest release, we’re sharing a few pieces from the archives.

Beginnings of the Showgirl

**A program for the first edition of *Lido de Paris* with 11 production numbers. Showgirls at that time were listed as *Les Modeles* in the program. (sho000227-002)**

Su Kim Chung, head of Special Collections Public Services and curator for the collecting areas of entertainment and women’s history in Las Vegas, says that while there have always been dancers in Las Vegas shows, showgirls were a new category of performer when they first came from Paris.

“Keep in mind that the original showgirls were all topless,” she says. “It was a real sensation when they first appeared on the Strip in the late 1950s. People think that showgirls are any beautiful woman that appeared as a dancer on the Strip with feathers, fishnets, and rhinestones, but the reality in the world of the big production shows is that they had a very specific meaning.”

The history of the Las Vegas showgirl began in 1958 with the arrival of Lido de Paris, a French production staged at the Stardust Hotel. It was soon followed by Follies Bergère at the Tropicana in 1959 and Casino de Paris at the Dunes in 1963. Since then, showgirls have become an iconic symbol of Las Vegas entertainment and culture.

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Evolution of the Showgirl

There were several categories of stage performers, each requiring different professional training and height requirements

Professionally trained dancers performed the routines that carried the show, like in this photo of Donn Arden’s Lido at the Stardust Hotel (pho024501-003). Eventually the categories of the performers evolved into the showgirl we know today. Felicia Atkins was one of the most famous celebrity showgirls.

In productions like Lido de Paris, the role of the showgirl was akin to appearing as beautiful moving scenery on the stage while the professionally trained dancers and singers performed. In fact, showgirls often had to meet a minimum height requirement to ensure they were visible on stage. The costumes and elaborate headdresses they wore often did not allow them to move like the covered dancers in choreographed numbers. Instead, they did a graceful and sensual "showgirl walk."

“By the early 1970s, there were three categories of these performers on stage,” says Chung. “You’d have a dancer who was covered, a dancing nude who was topless but had dance training, and a showgirl.”

Over time, these categories began to merge.

Felicia Atkins, one of the most famous showgirls, was rumored to have dated both Bing Crosby’s son and another Vegas icon — “The King” himself.

The Visionaries Behind the Showgirl

**Jerry Jackson’s 1983 costume design process from start to finish for the "Boogie Down” number in *Folies-Bergère*.**

The cover of a calendar themed "1997 Calendar Las Vegas The Story Behind the Scenery." Showgirls from the show Jubilee! pose in their teal and yellow feathered costumes. — **From concept sketches to reality!**

One of the key visionaries of showgirl history was Jerry Jackson, a “quadruple threat” who worked as show producer, artistic director, choreographer, and costume designer. For nearly 36 years, Jackson produced and directed the Folies-Bergère at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino, cementing the lavish aesthetic of Las Vegas entertainment.

Fun fact: Jackson became the show’s costume designer after the previous designer, Nolan Miller, left to create the iconic looks for the TV show Dynasty.

But perhaps the most well known figure behind the showgirl that we think of today was “the master of disaster” Donn Arden, who produced shows like Lido de Paris, Jubilee!, Hello America, Hello, Hollywood, Hello!, and Hallelujah Hollywood. Arden was known for his mastery of placing large numbers of beautiful women on stage in stunning costumes with dramatic sets that featured special effects.

The Life of a Showgirl

**A costume sketch by Bob Mackie for dancers in Donn Arden’s *Jubilee!* (sho000185) and a photo of a *Jubilee!* performer on a promotional postcard.**

A set design sketch for the finale of Jubilee!

**The cast of *Jubilee!* posed onstage at the MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas.**

While the showgirl costumes were beautiful, the life of a showgirl was not always glitzy, says Chung. Some headpieces could weigh up to 30 pounds. “It could be kind of rough,” she says. “Showgirls and dancers sometimes worked six days a week, sometimes seven days a week. You did two shows a night, except a lot of times on Saturdays they did three shows a night.”

Still, the spectacle was worth it. The productions in Las Vegas offered performers the rare chance to stay in one city rather than travel on tour. In turn, the productions became an enduring emblem of glamor and an iconic piece of Las Vegas’ history.

“The entire show was the spectacle — was the star,” Chung says, “It was the scenery, the costumes, the beautiful women. Every part, every piece had a part to play in making it this spectacle.”

She adds that performers like Swift would likely have taken on the role of principal singer — rather than showgirl — in these elaborate productions. She would have had a similar look with feathers and rhinestones, but would have also been responsible for carrying the songs and music throughout the show’s many production numbers.

The last showgirl production in Las Vegas ended in 2016, but the legacy of the showgirl lives on in our city’s history, in Special Collections & Archives, and now, in Swift’s own interpretation.

To learn more about the Las Vegas historical resources available to students, faculty, staff, and our community, visit the UNLV University Libraries Special Collections & Archives or consult the digital portal.

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10 CHIC SHOWGIRLS THAT SHAPED FASHION

Showgirl: a vision that connotes glitz, glamor and no shortage of feathers.

That’s not all it signifies. The trade has drawn women with heart, body, style, and soul to spare, gracing the stage with exuberance that surpasses their ability to be captured in a photograph.

A showgirl lives within the moment of her performance onstage, and as an alluring monument for celebration.

Originating in France, the modern incarnation was reborn in Las Vegas in the ‘50s along the Strip, a tradition that thrived into the ‘90s. Showgirls came from varied backgrounds, and, likewise, the style is impossible to restrict to a singular era. Her style draws upon old Hollywood glamor and dance, denying confinement as she tantalizes with an effusive smile, eluding definition regardless of the era she finds herself in. This eminence lives on in sequined, feathered, and bold styles of celebrities today, as showgirls were celebrities back then and are still, in days like these.

Best believe she’s bejeweled, when she saunters onto the Las Vegas Revue. Pamela Anderson takes a glittering turn as a showgirl in Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl. While a career is a flash, the director’s vision hones in on a spirit ephemeral, calling to mind the determination of showgirls past and present. To celebrate the film’s release, CR is taking a look back at the legendary figures who have defined and refined the look, delving into a legend that continues to captivate showgirls and it girls on and beyond film.

JOSEPHINE BAKER

Josephine Baker is undeniably one of the most sensational and well-known showgirls. After starring in vaudeville performances in the 1920s, she was invited to perform at the La Revue Nègre in Paris. Later, at the Folies Bergère, her danse savage earned unprecedented fame, transcending staid norms in favor of sensuality. In dance, Baker’s vision challenged conceptions of race, sexuality and gender, issuing a challenge through the wryly tilted lens of entertainment. In life, the muse was also a French resistance spy, unafraid to depart show-biz when she felt it was necessary to confront issues off canvas.

Forget the meat dress: Baker became famous for performing in a rubber banana skirt. This skirt would inspire shoes by Christian Louboutin, with legends like Iman and Grace Jones citing her as a critical inspiration. Tying into flapper style, she sported a bob, diamante evening gowns, and menswear with all the attitude and burnished vitality characteristic of showgirl glam.

MARLENE DIETRICH

The German born model and actress Marlene Dietrich followed her stylish instincts to the letter through a style that was all her own, fusing menswear and glamor within her approach. Embodying the old Hollywood glamor of the showgirl look, she commanded the camera with a halting gaze, assessing the onlooker and refusing to give any more away than she had to. In feathers, bold jewelry, and her signature makeup, she could give lip without uttering a word. She didn’t have to word her thoughts when her outfit would articulate all she had to say.

Dietrich’s signature styles included a feathery one-piece, fur jacket, and clothes she designed on her own, as well as sportswear, rolled-up jeans and the world’s first ultra-high platforms. Her political aptitude matched her penchant for fashion, as she wasn’t afraid to stand up for her beliefs, denouncing fascism in her native country and taking her showgirl persona on the road and around the world, as it suited her aspirations. Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri has taken cues from her style, which brought showgirls to the Brooklyn Museum for Pre-Fall 2024, blurring gender and city divisions in bridging New York, Paris and Dietrich, a style destination in her own right.

MARILYN MONROE

Synonymous with Hollywood, Marilyn Monroe will always be the sultry siren who captured the heart of the American consciousness. Courtesy of Jean Louis, the starry showgirl wore nothing under the marquisette gown sewn with 2,500 rhinestones on the day she sang “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” to President Kennedy at the 1962 Madison Square Garden Gala. Her shimmering magnificence defines the ideal of the showgirl aesthetic, lighting up the street with a song, sultry from top to the heels hitting the dancefloor.

Something’s Got to Give was the title of the movie Monroe was promoting at the time of the gala, and also an apt descriptor for her approach to fashion. The gold lame dress from Some Like It Hot and pink strapless pink dress from Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire evoke a juxtaposition with looks of covert elegance, implying you don’t have to bare it all to turn heads. Rather, sensuality persists regardless of what you’re wearing. Living for the applause, Monroe’s wardrobe was worthy of it. Evidently, one needs not marry a millionaire to be a luxury persona grata.

ZIZI JEANMAIRE

Look out, for La Smoking has arrived. A longtime muse for Saint Laurent, Zizi Jeanmaire kept to the fashionable lane all her life. Waywards in the most enviable tense, the chanteuse was a remarkable dancer who aerated the designer’s first collections through donning showgirl feathers and sequined corsets. Hands in gloves and on her hips, she was a ballet dancer, performing in Roland Petit’s Carmen to high praise and “two extraordinary corsets” that Saint Laurent later reminisced about (“one was black and white: the left white, the right black”). Uniquely attired, this showgirl moved in her own way, hell-bent in style and grace.

The showgirl is a woman like no other, and Jeanmaire certainly fits that bill. Born to provoke, she bridged the gap between ballet and the music hall within her style. She had a short crop of hair and feathers to accentuate it, singing “I Am a Diamond Eater” with all the conviction of someone who appears before the world, obeying her own instinctual principles first and foremost.

CARMEN MIRANDA

This samba singer was a sartorial sensation who was quick on her feet, departing her native Rio De Janeiro to star in Broadway productions like Streets of Paris. There was something in the air regardless of where she went, as a chic irreverence was about her, sure to reverb in her irresistible wake.

Famed stylist Bob Mackie, known for dressing Cher and Carol Burnett in classic showgirl ensembles, took inspiration from Carmen Miranda. In an interview with Vogue, he recalled her wearing “so many funny things, and so many colors, and high funny shoes, and fruit in her hat, and all this sort of thing.” She pioneered platform shoes and wore plastic fruit in her hair, introducing the U.S. to an upscale Afro-Brazilian fashion as one of the most famous Hollywood actresses in the 1940s.

ANN-MARGRET

Girl, get your glam on. Ann-Margret is a cause celebrate for her good girl glamor, making her debut in the musical And Here She Is and starring opposite Elvis Presley in Viva Las Vegas. She wasn’t afraid to change up her look, alternatively a blonde and red haired vixen who somehow managed to rock the beehive.

Notable looks include a graphic bodysuit recalling Captain America, with other ensembles featuring a rhinestone hood, and ruffles. A mistress of transformation, the only consistent factor in her style was her capacity to surprise anew, a stylish vigilante culpable of killing you rhinestone cold, depending on her mood at the moment. There’s no doubt, the star’s fashion took shape with wild and reckless abandon, throwing caution and pants to the wind as befit her status as a performer.

RITA HAYWORTH

The mystique of the showgirl found new purchase in Rita Hayworth, selling glamour to the flashing lights and cameras. Lustrous, she evolved her looks in the postwar period, from portraying innocuous beauty to a temptress. She starred in films like Gilda, starring as the titular character, a voluptuous nightclub singer who marries a casino owner and views her world through a lens of cynical allure, basking in the male gaze as she discerned the best way to play her cards.

This knowing quality is characteristic of showgirl fashion, with an elegant raise of the brow to accompany a rise in the slit of a dress. The classic star was both regal and accessible in her approach to personal style, rocking a sequin two-piece, fur coats and advantageous cutouts just as well as more modest looks, sweeping up her hair into an updo that epitomizes the showgirl at her best, dazzling even with no shoulders bared.

LIZA MINNELLI

Bad girls do it well, and Liza Minnelli is no exception. Partying up in the Studio 54 era with Elizabeth Taylor and Cher, she was evidently game for a party and gamine to boot, with a pixie cut and striking eyelashes that encoded her signature spirit. Enshrouded in fur coats and shimmering looks, she has enjoyed a storied career in theater and film, best known for portraying Sally Bowles in the 1972 musical film Cabaret.

She has also been a modern incarnation of Marie Antoinette, the OG showgirl at the epicentre of Parisian controversy. Prior to “The Battle of Versailles” in 1973, the legendary competition between French and American fashion designers, Minnelli made a compelling case for sequins and a deep neckline, a classy provocation, having her cake and serving it too. She would later perform, also in streamlined sequins, to benefit its restoration. Folded into ruffles, bold collars, and feathery boas, she never let these elements consume her, instead making them an extension of her stage persona and lashes, flicking them just so as if to set them alight. Her style cast an inimitable shadow that made clothes hang off her, as if to every word.

CHER

The showgirl is a woman who becomes more than herself in talent and fashion, and Cher is the epitome of someone who has lived a theatrical life that is evident in her chosen styles. The “Goddess of Pop” has a lustre for life, breaking out with 1965’s “I Got You Babe” and without any apparent intention to head back in, exhibiting great music, apparel, and vibes. Her memoir, out last year, tracks the all-time great’s experiences and struggles, notably her tumultuous relationship with Sonny Bono as well as her struggles within the industry. She is clear-eyed, an outspoken advocate for human rights, demonstrating the woman behind the starry-eyed showgirl has steel within her core.

A longtime collaborator with Bob Mackie, her brilliant look at the Oscars in 1997 shone to match her award-winning performance for “Moonstruck.” Featuring sheer fabric emblazoned with glistening fringe, she showed that the naked dress need not be minimal but maximalist, an incidental refutation of the public imagination struck dumb by the “naked dress” of Kate Moss. Yet it is unnecessary to turn back time when Cher has continued to serve looks, even starring on the cover of CR Fashion Book.

TINA TURNER

Her name was Tina, and she was a showgirl. The “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll” took her sartorial cues from showgirls but was thoroughly original. After all, Turner was the first Black woman to be a Rolling Stone cover girl, and reinvented herself too many times to count and with laurels beyond the wildest dreams of most other artists throughout her career.

Fulfilling her wildest dreams, her sartorial accolades naturally had to suit her talents and ambitions. She was prone to reinvention down to the formation of a garment, as she would go out and buy clothes off the rack before deconstructing them in collaboration with Mackie. On the cover of Private Dancer, her look was classic showgirl a la Tina, with a little black dress, better than revenge dressing as befitting a sensation of her stature. “Make it shorter“ was her instructions to Donatella and Gianni Versace designing one lithe number, a declaration of brevity for an icon to eclipse them all.

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MOVIES

The Best Showgirl Inspired Movies to watch in honor of Taylor Swift's New Album - THE LIFE OF A SHOWGIRL

by Aimee Lutkin, for ELLE

https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/g65798680/best-movies-about-showgirls/

The Last Showgirl (2025
Burlesque (2010)
Moulin Rouge (2001)
Showgirls (1995)
Gypsy (1962)
The Price & Showgirl (1957
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
.White Christmas (1954)
42nd Street (1933)
Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)

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MUSEUMS

GRANT PHILIPO'S - LAS VEGAS SHOWGIRL MUSEUM

https://www.lasvegasshowgirlmuseum.com

Paying homage to the Glitz, Glamour and Beauty of the Entertainment World of Sage & Screen!

An extensive collection and rich history, will guide you through an authentic journey into the heart of Las Vegas entertainment legacy.

The collections housed in the museum take visitors back to where it all started, in Paris. It gives a glimpse of all aspects, including live re-enactments of some of Las Vegas most famous production numbers, headliners and specialty acts, from Hallelujah Hollywood, Splash, Enter the Night, Jubilee, Les Folies Bergere, 90 Degrees and Rising, Melinda, The First Lady of Magic, Ann- Margaret Show, Lynda Carter Show and Liberace Show, in additional to famous movies and revues from around the world.

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SHOWGIRL MAGIC MUSEUM

https://www.theclarionsf.org/showgirl-magic-museum

Showgirl Magic Museum is the brainchild of Cynthia Yee, president of the Clarion and director of Grant Avenue Follies: dancer, magician and impresario.

The museum pays tribute to the vibrant nightclub scene in San Francisco Chinatown during the 1940's to 70's and the people who made it happen.

Beautiful headdresses, costumes and other memorabilia from that enchanting era are displayed in the underground alcove of the Clarion, giving an extra layer of intrigue to tourists and residents alike.