OpenAI has launched two new shopping features in ChatGPT worldwide. One lets you virtually try on clothes and accessories. The other is a Favorites function that saves products for later. TechCrunch AI reports that both features run on the newly launched ChatGPT Images 2.5 model. It’s OpenAI’s latest attempt to make its assistant a real place to shop, not just a place to ask questions.
The timing matters. OpenAI has already had to drop one shopping idea: an instant checkout feature that didn’t perform well. This launch looks like a reset that puts discovery and visualization ahead of transactions.
What’s New: 5 Things to Know
- A Try On button in your shopping results. You upload a selfie or a full-body photo, and ChatGPT shows how a piece of clothing or an accessory might look on you. The option shows up as a new Try On button right inside ChatGPT’s shopping results, so you don’t need to leave the conversation.
- Bring your own product images. You’re not stuck with what ChatGPT finds for you. You can upload an image of an item, such as a screenshot from a retailer’s site, and ask ChatGPT to try it on for you. That means the feature works with almost any store on the web, not just the products ChatGPT surfaces.
- Favorites that live in your Library. The second feature lets you save products you find to a Library in the app. According to OpenAI, these saved items sit alongside your try-on images. It’s a simple feature, but it fixes a real problem: shopping research in a chat window usually disappears once you scroll past it.
- Images 2.5 does the heavy lifting. OpenAI says the new image model produces more natural lighting and richer textures. It also claims the model follows editing instructions more reliably and cuts image generation latency. For try-on, those claims matter a lot. A virtual fitting only helps if the fabric, fit, and lighting look believable, and if you aren’t waiting ages for each render.
- Style-led and celebrity-inspired shopping. OpenAI also pointed to broader shopping uses. You can describe a style you want to try and ask ChatGPT to find the pieces that complete the look. Or you can upload photos of a celebrity’s outfit and ask it to track down items you can actually buy.
Why This Matters
What stands out here is the shift in strategy. Instant checkout tried to own the end of the purchase. These features go after the start of the journey: inspiration, discovery, and the “will this look good on me?” moment that often decides whether someone buys at all.
That puts ChatGPT straight onto turf Pinterest and Google have controlled for years. Both platforms have become go-to sources for fashion inspiration that turns into sales for online retailers. The celebrity outfit lookup goes after that behavior directly.
There’s also a lesson from the wider industry. TechCrunch AI notes that agentic AI startup Instinct recently started pushing product recommendations to users, and some people felt those proactive suggestions were an overreach that felt more like ads than help. OpenAI’s approach, at least for now, is user-initiated. You ask, you upload, you try on. That’s a smarter way to earn trust in a category where people are quick to smell a sales pitch.
The Caveats
A few things to keep in mind:
- Google got there first. Google launched virtual try-on last year, so OpenAI is catching up here rather than leading.
- Image quality claims are OpenAI’s own. The improvements in Images 2.5 are company claims. Real-world accuracy on fit and sizing still needs testing.
- Pricing details weren’t specified. The launch is global, but the report doesn’t say whether the features are limited to certain ChatGPT plans.
- Privacy questions. Uploading full-body photos to an AI assistant is a bigger ask than typing a search query. Some shoppers will hesitate.
What Comes Next
Whether ChatGPT becomes people’s first stop for fashion discovery is still an open question. But the pieces are coming together: visual try-on, saved collections, and conversational styling in one place. If OpenAI eventually links this discovery layer to a checkout flow that actually works, retailers will have to treat ChatGPT as a serious sales channel. Full details are available in the original TechCrunch AI report.