Stars are finding that it's better in the buff, donning skin-tone frocks for a soft, pretty look that puts them squarely in the spotlight. Stylist Nicole Chavez chose a Monique Lhuillier dress for Ashlee Simpson to wear to the American Music Awards. “Nudes and creams always look effortless,” says Chavez. The stylist suggests that a skin-tone dress puts extra emphasis on a pretty face: “It showcases you and makes you stand out." Client Simpson demurs: “It [wasn’t] really my night, so I wanted something simple.” But, of course, simple doesn’t mean plain. “She was my Botticelli,” says Chavez, referring to the painter’s The Birth of Venus. “She’s such a gorgeous girl, I didn’t want to take away from that.”

—Betony Toht