OpenAI is stepping up its efforts to capture the attention of digital shoppers and major retail brands by introducing a new feature to ChatGPT that allows users to see how clothing and accessories look on them before making a purchase. The update marks a significant expansion of the conversational AI platform’s commercial capabilities, positioning it more directly against established tech giants and traditional e-commerce search engines.
Under the new functionality, users can either take a fresh selfie directly within the interface or upload an existing photograph of themselves. The system then utilizes advanced image generation to create realistic previews of how specific apparel items and accessories would fit and appear on the individual. When users browse product listings for clothing and accessories within ChatGPT, a specialized "try-on" button appears, streamlining the transition from product discovery to visual evaluation.
This latest move is part of a broader strategy by OpenAI to make ChatGPT a central hub for shopping research and consumer transactions. Over the past year, the company has steadily introduced features designed to bridge the gap between AI-driven conversation and retail commerce. These efforts have included shopping research tools capable of analyzing search queries to recommend and compare products across the web, making it easier for consumers to weigh their options without having to manually open dozens of browser tabs.
Retailers are increasingly taking notice of these shifts, experimenting with how they can integrate their inventories and storefronts into the conversational AI ecosystem. Earlier this year, David’s Bridal established a presence on Shopify’s Agentic Storefronts for ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. That integration allowed shoppers to navigate through the retailer’s extensive assortment of wedding dresses and formal wear by filtering specifically by silhouette across both major AI platforms. Shortly after, marketplace giant Etsy debuted its own dedicated application directly on ChatGPT, opening up new conversational pathways for millions of independent sellers and buyers to connect.
With the addition of the virtual try-on feature, OpenAI is directly challenging Google, which has spent the last few years aggressively building out its own suite of product visualization tools powered by generative artificial intelligence. Google entered the space in 2023 with the debut of a virtual try-on tool that initially allowed consumers to virtually try on women’s tops, observing how fabric draped, folded, and clung to different body types. The following year, Google extended that capability to dresses, partnering with brands like Simkhai, and subsequently expanded the technology to include footwear, allowing shoppers to visualize various shoe models.
The race among major technology platforms to integrate virtual try-on technology highlights a broader recognition of what modern online shoppers demand. For years, the inability to accurately judge fit, texture, and appearance has remained one of the primary friction points of e-commerce, driving high rates of product returns and discouraging some consumers from purchasing apparel online altogether.
Industry research underscores the commercial value of solving this visualization problem. According to a 2024 survey conducted by Perfect Corp., brands that successfully implemented virtual try-on technology experienced a dramatic boost in performance, with their sales conversion rates more than doubling. Furthermore, the survey revealed that more than a third, or 38.4%, of respondents considered virtual fitting rooms and try-on tools to be the ideal method for replicating the tactile, physical shopping experience within a digital environment.
As generative artificial intelligence continues to mature, the boundary between traditional search engines, conversational assistants, and digital storefronts is becoming increasingly blurred. By blending conversational product research with personalized visual generation, OpenAI and its retail partners are betting that the future of online shopping will be defined by highly individualized, interactive experiences that reduce uncertainty and bring the dressing room directly to the user’s screen.
