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 The Dress That Broke the Internet turns 10! How a simple optical illusion divided the world and the mind boggling tricks that have baffled us ever since Daily Mail Online The Science Behind the Dress The New York Times Eye Trick Filter Effects: White and Gold vs. Blue and Black Dress