ELI5:Why does this dress appear white gold to some people and black blue to others? : r explainlikeimfive TheDress couple: 'we were completely left out from the story' BBC News 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 Color Illusion Is The Dress White Or Gold Dress Original Color Black And Blue Or White Eleven years ago, a single photo posted on Tumblr sparked one of the biggest internet debates of all time. The dress instantly divided the world, some swore it was white and gold, Sunshine embroider flowy net dress