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: America is split at the seams, says survey CNET Elsie Chiffon Dress in Starry Night Navy RIXO USA 10 years ago, a simple photograph of a dress sparked a global debate unlike anything seen online before. Posted in 2015, the image caused people to argue intensely over whether the dress What #TheDress Color You See Says About You According To Science Here's why people saw the dress differently.