10 years later, the dress is still dividing the internet—and TikTok is obsessed

If there’s one viral phenomenon that proved the internet’s ability to divide and unite us, it’s The Dress. Jason Pargin’s recent TikTok revisiting the optical illusion has reignited the internet’s obsession nearly a decade later, with 3.3 million views and counting. The video goes into the photo’s origins, its viral spread, and its strange aftermath.In the video, Pargin recounts the story of how The Dress first took over the internet in February 2015. "It all started with a very simple question," he explains. "What color do you think this dress is?" The viral photo revealed an even split between people who saw blue and black and those who insisted it was white and gold.

"This all happened because a woman was at a dress shop looking for something to wear to her daughter's wedding," Pargin says. "She took a picture of this dress and sent it to her saying, ‘What do you think?’ The dress is blue and black in real life, but it was her daughter—the very first person to ever see the photo—who said, ‘Oh, so you're wearing white and gold?’"

The ensuing debate roped in everyone from celebrities to everyday internet users. "Taylor Swift saw it as blue and black. Kim Kardashian saw it as white and gold, but her then-husband Kanye West saw blue and black," Pargin notes.

Why Does It Happen?

Nearly a decade later, scientists still don’t fully understand why some people see the dress as blue and black while others insist it’s white and gold. Pargin highlights some illustrations that attempt to explain the phenomenon: it seems to depend on how your brain interprets the lighting conditions in the photo.

upload.wikimedia.org

"But the crazy thing is," Pargin says, "with any optical illusion, usually you can make yourself see it both ways once you know what people are looking at. But I've never met anyone who could make themselves see both colors. It is either obviously one or obviously the other."

This image from USA Today demonstrates how changes in lighting can alter perception:

TikTok Comments and Nostalgia

The video’s comments section is filled with nostalgia, fresh debates, and funny takes. One user wrote, “I’ve been trying to make myself see white and gold for 10 years. I’ve never managed it.” Another added, “I thought the dark twist was that they were forced to meet Ellen Degeneres.”

Many commenters also brought up other viral internet debates that have sparked similar chaos, like Yanni/Laurel or the “Flashed Face Distortion Effect," a face-mutation illusion where people’s features morph when you focus on two shifting images.

Flashed face distortion effect

File:Flashed face distortion effect.webm - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

These moments remind us that the internet’s fascination with optical tricks and perception debates is far from over. One user wrote, “I’ve been trying to make myself see white and gold for 10 years. I’ve never managed it.” Another added, “I thought the dark twist was that they were forced to meet Ellen Degeneres.”

As The Dress approaches its 10th anniversary, Pargin’s TikTok has sparked fresh conversations about color perception and optical illusions. Whether you see blue and black or white and gold, one thing is certain: The Dress still has the power to fascinate us all.