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 What Color is this dress, Blue & Black or White & Gold? Perception Explained: Why We See things Differently., This 2015 photo broke the internet by revealing something wild about how your brain Ten years ago, a photo of a dress posted on Tumblr sparked a massive debate: was it blue and black or white and gold? Millions argued online, and even celebrities joined in. Scientists later explained Scientists have FINALLY explained why people couldn't agree on the colour of 'that dress'