The Dress That Broke the Internet: 10 Years Later

Can you believe it’s been ten years since the internet was torn apart by a simple photo of a dress?

Back on February 26, 2015, a seemingly innocent picture sparked one of the biggest viral debates in pop culture history. Was the dress white and gold, or was it blue and black?

If you remember the chaos, you know just how intense it got—friends arguing, social media exploding, and even scientists jumping in to explain the madness.

The debate started when a user posted a photo of the dress on Tumblr, asking people what colours they saw.

To the shock of the world, people were seeing completely different colour combinations. While some swore up and down that it was white and gold, others were convinced it was blue and black.

Celebrities, news outlets, and even optical scientists joined the conversation, trying to make sense of why our brains were perceiving the same image in different ways.

So, what was the real answer?

The dress was actually blue and black. But thanks to lighting, overexposure, and how our brains interpret colour, many of us saw it differently.

Experts explained that it had to do with the way our eyes adjust to light and shadow, creating a sort of optical illusion. It was a perfect storm of visual trickery that left millions questioning their eyesight—and their sanity!

Fast forward ten years, and the dress still pops up in online conversations, reminding us of that one time the internet collectively lost its mind over a piece of clothing.

Do you still see white and gold? Or have you finally accepted the truth?

Either way, one thing’s for sure—#TheDress will never be forgotten!

10 years ago today, a dress was posted on Tumblr.

It was later confirmed to be Black and Blue. pic.twitter.com/pVRoJUj9RN

— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 26, 2025