Dressed to Thrill: Gwyneth Paltrow in Prada

She may play a doomed wife in her upcoming, much-anticipated flick Contagion, but at the Venice Film Festival late last week, our favorite blonde actress picked a duo of Prada ensembles that proved her style sense is alive and (very) well. First, at the film's photocall, Gwynnie slipped into a sherbet-colored minidress with sculptural, cinched sleeves, reining in the dress' volume with a wide black belt. We've said it before, and we'll say it again—orange is it this season, at least for fashion's risktakers.

Later on, Gwyneth chose another Miuccia Prada original for Contagion's evening premiere—this floor-sweeping, pale pink gown accented with a dramatic bow at the neckline. We love the drop-waisted silhouette—and Gwynnie certainly has the figure to rock it--but the best aspect of the entire look? Her softly sideswept hair, which perfectly offsets that high neckline and frames those multi-carat Bulgari earrings. Paltrow continues to prove our theory that you don't always need over-the-top embellishment or eye-catching prints to craft an amazing red carpet look.