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 Dressgate: If you saw THAT dress as white your brain was working overtime Is That Dress White and Gold or Blue and Black? The New York Times White and gold or black and blue? Here's why we see this dress so differently Raw Story Dressgate: If you saw THAT dress as white your brain was working overtime In February 2015, a photo of a striped dress posted online unexpectedly turned into a worldwide argument. Some viewers swore it was blue and black, while others were convinced it was white