ELI5:Why does this dress appear white gold to some people and black blue to others? : r explainlikeimfive Black and blue or white and gold? The dress color debate rages online I See White and Gold, but the Dress Taught Me How We Shape Our Own Reality by Shaant A Culturated Medium 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