DRESSGATE: What color is this dress? FOX 13 Tampa Bay How Does Your State Sales Tax See That Blue and Black (or White and Gold) Dress? In 2015, a photograph of a dress went viral, dividing viewers over whether its colors were blue and black or white and gold. This optical illusion highlighted differences in human color 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