Haters gonna hate, but Gwyneth Paltrow is getting the last laugh. The Iron Man 3 actress came under fire this past week after walking the red carpet premiere for her new action flick in a revealing Antonio Berardi dress on Wednesday, Apr. 24. But, according to her stylist Elizabeth Saltzman, Paltrow never looked better.
"Not only was it our first choice, it's [also] beautiful, it's cool, it's daring in a no-daring way. Nonthreatening. Elegant," Saltzman told Us Weekly of Paltrow's gown, which featured a sheer side panel that revealed the entire length of her leg, from hip to toe. "It looked great on her … it showed off her body. It's spirit without being vulgar."
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Saltzman also pointed out that Paltrow wasn't wearing the gown to nab attention -- rather, the Goop founder was only "having fun" with the outfit and showing off her healthy, toned body.
"The point is that this girl has taste, this girl has confidence," the stylist told Us. "And she's not flaunting anything but the hard work that she's put into being a happy body, happy person, healthy person. You don't see a whole lot of false fakeness going on there like some other people. She's always classic with a twist, classic with an edge."
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Adds a source close to the actress: "She honestly felt it was a beautiful dress! Then she realized she couldn't wear underwear with it -- she tried it on with underwear first and then saw how bad it looked -- so she went for it."
"That's how Gwyneth is," the source continued. "She didn't know it would get such a negative reaction. She thought it was beautiful and fit the event."
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The gown in question was an item from Berardi's fall/winter 2013 collection, and the actress wore it well, the designer told Grazia magazine. "Gwyneth manages to bridge the gap of glamour and modernity," he told the magazine. "She makes things look iconic!"
The 40-year-old actress sat down with Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show on Friday, Apr. 26, and admitted that she was a bit "humiliated" by the bad press the outfit had garnered. Especially, she shared, because she had a little "disaster" just prior to the red carpet reveal.
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"I was doing a show and I changed there and I couldn't wear underwear. I don't think I can tell this story on TV," Paltrow said with a laugh. "Well, let's just say everyone went scrambling for a razor. …I work a '70s vibe. You know what I mean?"
This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Gwyneth Paltrow's Stylist Defends Sheer No-Underwear Dress: "This Girl Has Taste, This Girl Has Confidence"