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 Gold Crystal Mermaid gold prom dress with Backless Dress that broke the internet: The twisted backstory behind "the Dress." Eleven years ago today, an image of a dress posted on Tumblr, a social networking platform, ignited a global online debate over whether it was white and gold or blue and black.