What Color Is This Dress?

Who knew a humble dress could break the internet but that’s happening right now. It’s important because I think it’s driving me crazy.

A woman went on Tumblr to ask a normal question: what color is this dress?

Is it black and blue or is it gold and white?

For some of us, it is dead-on black and blue. For others, it’s completely white and gold. WHAT?

The woman who posted the image herself said it was blue and black. But when she looked at the photo again, the dress appeared gold and white to her. Many people have posted amusing comments in response:

“I just saw it as gold and white which was weird because earlier it was blue and black so i thought maybe you were messing with me but i went to check it out and now its blue and black again?!”

“WHAT KIND OF WIZARDRY IS THIS?”

“That stupid dress is making me question my own existence”

“I’m a fashion designer and i can’t for the life of me tell the colour of this dress. I’m not fit for my job and I’m calling in sick”

Even celebrities and famous people have chimed in on Dressgate:

Taylor Swift is clearly on Team #blackandblue

I don’t understand this odd dress debate and I feel like it’s a trick somehow. I’m confused and scared. PS it’s OBVIOUSLY BLUE AND BLACK — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) February 27, 2015

Kanye agrees but not everyone in the family does.

 

What color is that dress? I see white & gold. Kanye sees black & blue, who is color blind? — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) February 27, 2015

 

Ariana Grande has had enough…

if one more person asks me what color i think this damn dress is — Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) February 27, 2015

Even the Pope gave his opinion… (it’s a fake account but that would’ve been hilarious!)

SO WHICH IS IT? BLUE/BLACK or WHITE/GOLD?

So after some research, it appears that the dress is actually…. blue and black. But that doesn’t explain why thousands of people see white and gold?

According to one photo expert, the original photo – taken with a camera phone in poor lighting – casts the whites in a blue tone and mutes the gold to a darker color. People who see blue and black are seeing the photo at face value. People who see gold and white are compensating to the photo’s lighting and aesthetic.

The photo below might help you see the differences with some color correction based off the lighting:

Whether you think it’s blue/black or white/gold, we can be certain of one thing. One dress will never divide the internet quite like this again.

And the people who see the dress as gold and white are utterly, completely wrong 😉