'The Dress' returns in powerful campaign against domestic violence for Salvation Army

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The Salvation Army has utilised the popularity of 'The Dress' debate to launch a visceral campaign against domestic violence.

The charity has produced an image portraying a young woman covered in bruises, wearing a white and gold version of the dress.

The advert asks: “Why is it so hard to see black and blue” and the caption underneath reads: “The only illusion is if you think it was her choice. One in six women are victims of abuse. Stop abuse against women.”

The dress, made by Roman Originals, achieved widespread coverage last week as it divided people as to its combination colours. According to a Buzzfeed Poll, as taken by 3.4 million voters, 32 per cent of people saw the dress as its real colour blue and black whilst 68 per cent saw white and gold.

The reason people were seeing the dress as white and gold rather than its true black and blue came was due to a number of factors, namely the lighting within the photograph.

The Salvation Army’s campaign ties in succinctly with International Women’s Day on 8 March. On the same day, the Domestic Violence Discolsure Scheme, also know as Clare's Law, is being rolled out across Britain, giving people the 'right to ask' police whether their partner has a record of abuse. The initiative is named after Clare Wood, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend George Appleton, who had a history of violence against women, in 2009.

In England and Wales two women are killed every week by domestic violence and one in four will experience it during their lives.

The Salavation Army campaign is the not dress’ first appearance in the name of charity. A white and gold version of the garment has been specially manufactured for Comic Relief. At the time of publishing it had 40 bids and was selling for £540.

The charity Refuge has a 24-hour National Domestic Violence Freephone Helpline that can be contacted on 0808 2000 247.