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 Remi Scoop Neck Knit Dress Black How "The Dress" Became an Illusion Unlike Any Other Scientific American Is That Dress White and Gold or Blue and Black? The New York Times Exploring The Color Controversy of The Dress Here's why people saw the dress differently.