The dress, also known as Dressgate and associated with the hashtags #thedress, #whiteandgold, and #blackandblue, is a viral photo and meme which became popular on the evening of February 26, 2015. The meme originated from a washed-out photograph of a dress posted on the social networking services Facebook and Tumblr—disputing whether the dress pictured was blue and black, or white and gold. Although it was confirmed that the dress actually was blue and black, the image prompted discussions surrounding the matter across various platforms, with users discussing their opinions on the color and why they perceived the dress as being a certain color, while others discussed the triviality of the dispute to begin with.
Media outlets noted that the photo was overexposed and had poor white balance, causing its colors to be washed out, giving rise to the perception by some that the dress is white and gold rather than its actual colors. The dress itself was identified as being a royal blue “Lace Bodycon Dress” from the retailer Roman Originals; although available in three other colors (red, pink, and ivory, each with black lace), a white and gold version does not exist. The day after McNeil’s post, Roman Originals’ website experienced a major surge in traffic; a representative of the retailer stated that “we sold out of the dress in the first 30 minutes of our business day and after restocking it, it’s become phenomenal.”
The dress attracted the attention of celebrities and brands alike, including Cirque du Soleil, who posted this on their Twitter feed in response:
