Maxi Dress Red White Blue Etsy Black And Blue Dress Original Picture Original Blue And Black Or White And Gold Dress Illusion Ten Years 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 Ten years ago, a photo of a dress posted on Tumblr sparked a massive debate: was it blue and black or white and gold? Millions argued online, and even celebrities joined in. Blue black or white gold? The dress debate is over