Gwyneth Paltrow’s dress steals show at premiere

Gwyneth Paltrow arrives for the premiere of 'Iron Man 3'. Picture: Reuters

Gwyneth Paltrow appeared to embrace her new title, awarded by People magazine, when she arrived for the screening of Iron Man 3 in a revealing outfit – and apparently no underwear.

The Academy Award-winner and mother of two grabbed all the attention as she took to the red carpet at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

The actress’s Antonio Berardi frock featured mesh panels that showed off her bare sides, sparking a storm among fashionistas.

“It’s very see-through,” Paltrow admitted. “I just thought it was really beautiful and it sort of has a superhero thing happening.”

The outfit polarised opinion. Mira Taylor, a fashion designer from London, tweeted: “LOVE Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘no underwear don’t care’ look. Only she can pull this off with class!”

However, Erica Taylor from New York wrote: “Gwyneth, get a new stylist! I’m hating this. #noonecaresforgotunderwear”

The dress drew comparisons with “that dress” worn by Elizabeth Hurley to the Four Weddings and a Funeral premiere in 1994.

Her overtly sexual Versace outfit was held together with gold safety pins, with a deep cut-away section at the bosom.

Another actress, Anne Hathaway, caused a real-life costume drama over her last-minute decision not to wear a particular outfit at this year’s Oscars, where she won best supporting actress for her role in Les Misérables. After learning another star was to wear the same outfit, she took the unusual step of issuing a public statement to explain why she was not dressed as expected.

Paltrow, who plays Pepper Potts alongside Robert Downey Jr in the Iron Man film trilogy, played down her receipt of the magazine’s annual beauty award. “It’s funny, these things, because it’s obviously not true, but it’s very sweet to be named that,” she said. “And it’s so nice that someone who has kids and is a mum and is not, like, 21 is named that. It’s really an honour. It’s very sweet”.

However, her co-star Sir Ben Kingsley insisted that the award was fully justified. “Let me tell you she’s as gracious and beautiful inside as she is outside,” he said.

“She’s got a good heart, she’s a lovely girl.”

Another co-star, Guy Pearce, said of the award: “Completely justified. She’s gorgeous.”

Paltrow, who is married to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, was criticised this week for a collaboration with designer Melissa Odabash, producing bikinis marketed at four to eight-year-olds. Campaigners believe they sexualise children.