You Can Now Buy 'The Dress' In Either Blue And Black Or White And Gold Women's Summer Boho Smocked Beach Dresses Square Neck Sleeveless Ruffle Floral Flowy Tiered Maxi Origin of White Gold or Black Blue Dress Business Insider 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 Navy Stripe Smocked Waist Dress Cabana Life 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