Olivia Palermo on Her Memorable Wedding 'Dress' - and the Funny Reason She Just Went Blonde

Olivia Palermo seems to have things all figured out. The style guru always looks flawless, has two design gigs under her belt and pulled off a trailblazing wedding look that had everyone talking. So how, exactly, did Palermo’s now-famous shorts-and-sweater bridal ensemble come together?

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“I had something in mind and going in and working with Carolina [Herrera]’s team we were able to find something seamlessly,” the former star of The City told PEOPLE on Wednesday at the opening of the new NYC Sephora. “I love Carolina’s dresses. They’re amazing so how could you not [want to work with her]?”

Her favorite part wasn’t her lace train or much-loved Manolos, though: “I really loved my jewelry that I got in India. It was really nice and we had an amazing trip in December,” she says. “It was nice to kind of add that embellishment to it.”

And her husband showed up looking that sharp all on his own — no consultation needed from his fashionable fiancée. “No, I know people think we must consult each other, but we really just get dressed separately,” she said with a laugh. “But like anybody from time to time you do get a second opinion.”

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With the wedding behind her, Palermo is diving into work and updating her look — though her blonde makeover wasn’t really a makeover at all.

“People really think that I went blonde and it’s like no, no!” she says, explaining that her interim brunette hue happened while her stylist was off duty. “It’s just the fact that I haven’t colored my hair in many months because my colorist was on maternity leave and she just got back.” And Palermo is as loyal as they come: “It has just been growing out for quite some time and I don’t cheat on her so I have to wait like every other girl!”

Did you love Palermo’s wedding look? How about her new blonde do? Tell us below!

–Ana Calderone