The actual dress was black and blue. The confusion came from how lighting and color perception tricked people's brains, making some see it as white and gold. It became a viral example Midnight Glimmer Midi Dress Chic Glam Closet Strapless Cocktail Dress 2 GOLD 10 years ago, a simple photograph of a dress sparked a global debate unlike anything seen online before. Posted in 2015, the image caused people to argue intensely over whether the dress Color scientists explain the dress that went viral RIT The Science Behind the Black and Blue (or White and Gold) Dress