The white and gold dress, and the illusion of free will Felipe Contreras 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 That Dress again. Here's why people saw the dress differently. Dancing Queen 1999 Long Quinceanera Dress Bahama Blue Lilac Small Is That Dress White and Gold or Blue and Black? The New York Times