OpenAI Adds Virtual Try-On and Favorites to ChatGPT Shopping
ChatGPT users can now upload a photo of themselves to see how clothing and accessories look, and stash products in a Favorites library.
OpenAI is pushing ChatGPT further into retail with a set of shopping features that let users see clothing and accessories on themselves before buying. The update, rolling out now, uses a shopper's own photo to generate a virtual try-on, and adds a Favorites library where saved products collect in one place. The move puts ChatGPT in more direct competition with established e-commerce tools built for the same job.
The try-on works from a user-supplied image rather than a generic avatar, which is the part that matters for fit and styling decisions. Instead of guessing how a jacket drapes or how a pair of glasses sits on a particular face shape, the shopper sees a rendering built around their own proportions. OpenAI has not detailed which apparel categories or retailers are supported at launch, or how it handles returns and sizing accuracy once a purchase actually happens.
Favorites gives the feature a place to live beyond a single conversation. Saved items persist so users can compare options across sessions, which turns ChatGPT from a place to ask buying questions into a lightweight wish list. That is a familiar pattern for the company: add a native capability, then let third-party shopping tools either integrate or compete on top of it.
Virtual try-on is one of the harder problems in online retail because it sits at the intersection of computer vision, body modeling and merchandising data. Google has tested similar image-based apparel previews, and a cluster of startups have raised money on the premise that better visualization cuts returns. Returns remain the expensive part of apparel e-commerce, and any tool that reduces them is worth real money to brands.
For OpenAI, shopping is also a monetization question. The company has been building out commerce features and advertising-adjacent products as it looks for revenue beyond subscriptions and API access. If ChatGPT can send shoppers to checkout, it becomes a discovery channel that retailers have to take seriously, not just a chatbot people use to draft emails.
What to watch is whether OpenAI publishes performance data, such as how often a try-on leads to a purchase or a return, and whether retailers get any say in how their inventory appears. The company also has not said how photos are stored or how long they are retained, a detail that will draw scrutiny given the sensitivity of personal images. Until those answers land, the feature is easier to demo than to judge.