Navy Blue Chenille Corset Dress Renaissance Dress French Meadows M 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 ELI5:Why does this dress appear white gold to some people and black blue to others? : r explainlikeimfive 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.