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 This explains how the blue black white gold dress illusion was possible. But it doesn't explain why some people saw it one way and some saw it the other, and no one seemed to see Chaser Grateful Dead West Coast Rose Tee Shirt Dress Why did some people see a gold and white dress? Our Brain The Dress Debate: Science Explains Why Some See Blue And Black And Others White And Gold