Black and blue or white and gold? The dress color debate rages online Gold White and Blue Black Dresses Inspired By THE Dress In 2015, a photograph of a dress went viral, dividing viewers over whether its colors were blue and black or white and gold. This optical illusion highlighted differences in human color perception Optical illusion renews blue and black dress debate nine years on Express.co.uk 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