OpenAI is betting that shopping chatbots should let you upload a selfie and ask whether a jacket fits. The company announced today that ChatGPT can now virtually try on clothes for you, along with a new favoriting function that saves products for later. The updates arrive as AI assistants race to add shopping features, though OpenAI’s own history in this space includes a pivot after an earlier idea flopped.
The new tools leverage the newly launched ChatGPT Images 2.5 model, which OpenAI claims produces more natural lighting and richer textures, follows editing instructions more reliably, and reduces image generation latency. The try-on feature lets users upload a selfie or a full-body photo to see how an outfit looks on them. You can also upload an image of an item, like a web screenshot, and ask ChatGPT to try it on for you. The Favorites function stores products in a Library in the app so you can return to them later.
OpenAI’s Shopping History
OpenAI’s approach to shopping has not always gone smoothly. The company previously attempted an instant checkout feature that ended up not performing well, forcing a pivot. More recently, agentic AI startup Instinct began pushing product recommendations to users, but some felt those proactive suggestions felt more like ads than helpful advice.
The try-on feature arrives at a moment when AI assistants are exploring consumer use cases around shopping. OpenAI is now trying again, with a visual tool that asks users to treat the assistant as a personal stylist.
How Virtual Try-On Works
The try-on feature is simple in concept but unusual in execution. Users upload a photo of themselves — a selfie or a full-body shot — and ChatGPT generates a version of that photo showing how the clothing would look on them. The feature appears as a new Try On button in ChatGPT’s shopping results.
Users can also upload an image of an item itself, like a web screenshot of a product page. Then they ask ChatGPT to render the item on their own body. The company notes that the saved try-on images will be stored alongside the saved products in the Library.
The system leans heavily on the new Images 2.5 model, which OpenAI says improves the quality of the generated images. That matters for a feature where the whole experience depends on the pictures looking convincing.
The Favorites Library
The Favorites function works alongside the try-on tool. Users can save products they discover to a Library in the app, which stores both the products and the associated try-on images. The company says these items will be saved alongside your try-on images.
OpenAI frames the combination as a complete shopping workflow. You can describe a style you want, ask ChatGPT to shop for the pieces needed to complete it, or upload photos of celebrities’ outfits and ask it to find the items they’re wearing that are available for purchase. The assistant moves into territory that Pinterest and Google have dominated in recent years as sources for fashion inspiration and discovery that can convert to sales for online retailers.
“ChatGPT can help users shop in other ways, too.”
That line sums up the company’s ambition: the assistant is not just a search engine, but a shopping companion that can take direction and produce results.
What This Competes Against
Whether ChatGPT will become people’s first choice for this type of activity remains to be seen, especially given that Google launched virtual try-on last year.
The timing is notable. OpenAI is rolling out a similar feature at a moment when the market leader has already established the category.
The try-on feature also raises a question about privacy. Users are uploading photos of themselves to a chatbot, which means the assistant has access to imagery that most people would not share casually.
The Verdict
OpenAI’s new shopping features are clever and amusing. They solve a real problem — wondering whether a shirt will fit — in a novel way. But the company faces an uphill battle. Google launched virtual try-on last year, and the market leader has already established the category.
The selfie-uploading trick is a neat party trick, but it is not a strategy. The company pivoted once before on a shopping idea, and the shopping space is crowded. The assistant is now competing against companies that have spent years building dedicated shopping experiences.
The try-on feature is a small win for the company. It shows that OpenAI can build visual tools that work within its conversational interface. It does not show that the assistant will replace your favorite shopping app.
For now, the updates are a signal that OpenAI is still exploring how AI assistants can help with everyday tasks. The try-on feature is a step in that direction, even if it is a step Google took first.
Source material: “ChatGPT can now virtually try on clothes for you,” TechCrunch.
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