ChatGPT virtual try-on: how it works, and prompts that fit better

OpenAI added a "Try on" button to ChatGPT's shopping results on 1 October 2026. Pick a clothing item ChatGPT shows you, tap Try On, and it puts the item on a photo of you. TechCrunch reported that the feature saves your reference photo so you don't have to upload a new selfie every time, and that it runs on the new ChatGPT Images 2.5 model for more natural lighting and texture. PYMNTS also covered the launch, noting a new Favorites feature that lets you save items you're considering.

It's rolling out worldwide on mobile and web. Here's how to use it well, and what to do when the built-in button isn't enough.

How the button works

1. Ask ChatGPT to find a product, or browse a shopping result it shows you.
2. Select Try on on an item of clothing or an accessory.
3. Take or upload a selfie the first time. ChatGPT keeps this as your reference photo, so later try-ons are faster.
4. ChatGPT generates a version of the photo with the item on you.

You can also do this with items the button doesn't offer. Upload a screenshot of a product from any website and ask ChatGPT to put it on your photo, the same way you'd use the virtual outfit try-on prompt:

Put me in the [GARMENT, e.g. the cropped denim jacket] from this second image, based on my photo in the first.

Keep my face, body shape, pose and background exactly the same. Fit the garment naturally to my body: correct shoulder width, correct length, realistic folds and shadows where the fabric sits.

Get a reference photo that gives good results

The button's quality depends on your reference photo. A few things make a real difference:

• Use a clear, front-on photo with even light. Side angles and dim rooms make the fit harder to judge.
• Plain background. A busy background gives the model more to blend wrong.
• Fitted clothing in the photo you upload. A baggy hoodie in your reference photo makes it hard for the AI to see your actual shape, which changes how the new item fits.
• One person, clearly in frame. Crops and group photos confuse which face and body to use.

If your first try-on looks off, don't start again with a new item. Fix the reference photo first, then try again.

When you want a colour, not just a fit

The Try On button shows you an item as it's listed. If you want to check a colour the store doesn't offer, or compare a few options before you buy, use the change clothing colour prompt on the try-on result:

Change the colour of the [JACKET / DRESS / SHIRT] in this photo to [COLOUR, e.g. a deep forest green]. Keep the fabric texture, folds, shadows and highlights exactly as they are. Don't change anything else in the photo.

Ask for one colour at a time and compare the results side by side, rather than listing several colours in one prompt. You'll get a cleaner result for each.

If you sell clothes yourself

If you run a small shop or an Instagram store, the same underlying model is useful beyond trying things on yourself. A ghost-mannequin prompt turns a flat photo of a garment into a clean product shot with no mannequin or hanger visible, which is the standard look for an online listing:

Turn this photo of a [GARMENT] on a hanger into a ghost-mannequin product image: the garment keeps its 3D shape as if worn, but no mannequin, hanger or person is visible. Keep the fabric, colour, print and stitching exactly as they are. Plain white background, even studio light.

Pair that with an outfit change transition video if you want a short clip for Reels showing one outfit changing into another, rather than a still photo.

What the feature can't do yet

TechCrunch's report and OpenAI's own description describe this as a shopping feature, not a general photo editor. Don't expect it to handle items with heavy prints, fine jewellery or complex layering as well as plain garments. If a try-on looks warped around the sleeves or collar, that's usually the model struggling with where the fabric should fold, not something your prompt can fully fix. Try a more front-on reference photo instead.

Where to go from here

For keeping your face accurate through any photo edit, see how to edit an AI prompt. Browse more fit, colour and product prompts in photo editing prompts, or use the prompt builder to write your own version with your garment and colour filled in.

Quick checklist

• Start with a clear, front-on, evenly lit reference photo.
• Fix the reference photo before you blame the item.
• Ask for one colour change at a time.
• Selling clothes? Use the ghost-mannequin prompt for listing photos, not the Try On button.
• Heavy prints and fine jewellery are the hardest cases. Expect to retry those.

Prompts to try

Put me in the [GARMENT] from the second image, based on my photo in the first. Keep my face, body shape, pose and background… Photo edit1 blank to fillVirtually try on an outfitGemini · ChatGPT Change the colour of the [SHIRT / DRESS / JACKET] the person is wearing to [COLOUR]. Keep the fabric texture, folds, shadows and… Photo edit2 blanks to fillChange the colour of clothingGemini · ChatGPT Turn this photo of a [GARMENT] on a hanger or flat surface into a ghost-mannequin style product image. Keep the fabric, colour,… Photo edit1 blank to fillClothing on a ghost mannequinGemini · ChatGPT A person snaps their fingers and their outfit changes from casual to [FORMAL / FESTIVE] with a quick sparkle transition, the same… Video1 blank to fillOutfit change transitionVeo · Kling · Seedance Video3 blanks to fillOutfit change transition ReelHiggsfield · Kling

Browse all 1594 prompts →