TheDress one year on eight things we learned from the viral phenomenon Social media The Guardian Happy 10th anniversary to the original photograph of "The Dress" and the subsequent internet debate over white and gold or black and blue : r popculturechat 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: Blue & Black? White & Gold? Cease & Desist? CNN