Can ChatGPT's new Shopping Assistant find the perfect white shirt? I asked it to find out

What might be the future of online shopping is surprisingly helpful and chatty

ChatGPT's Shopping Assistant provides plenty of choice. Sarah Maisey / The National

For all its convenience, online shopping walks a fine line between consumer ease and digital fatigue. The Middle East’s fashion-savvy, mobile-first generation may have embraced the shift from physical to online, but the overwhelming choice – of endless tabs, contradictory sizing and unreliable filters – has turned what should be a seamless experience into something universally stressful.

Enter ChatGPT’s new Shopping Assistant, a recently launched tool that promises to take the pain out of it all by reducing the sprawl of the internet into a neat, curated shortlist.

Typing in the prompt: "Find the perfect white shirt in UAE for a woman on a budget" into the blank space of ChatGPT's page feels a little strange, but it quickly offers photographs of models to humanise the experience. Within seconds, it serves up prices and links from the likes of Matalan, VogaCloset, Sun & Sand Sports, Amazon and Zara.

A request for “eco-friendly, same-day delivery” leads to a more limited line-up of Splash Fashions, Centrepoint and The Giving Movement. It does highlight sustainable cotton and linen, but misses out on recycled fabrics and more progressive alternatives to water-hungry cotton. It’s a thoughtful list, if not fully comprehensive.

ChatGPT's Shopping Assistant answers queries about the perfect white shirt. Sarah Maisey / The National

I ask next what makes a well-fitting shirt, and the assistant responds with unexpected specifics – shoulder seams should sit precisely where the shoulder ends; if buttons gape, size up or seek bust darts. For a streamlined tuck, the shirt length should hit the hips. This is not just online shopping, it’s digital styling advice.

Next, I pose a question to unearth a possible monetary bias: Does ChatGPT make money if I buy something it suggests? The reply is an emphatic no. “ChatGPT, including me, your Shopping Assistant, does not make money from online shopping. I don’t earn commissions, affiliate fees, or get paid by any retailers for recommending products.”

While this sounds reassuring, ChatGPT is too new for any data suggesting otherwise. Open AI was originally launched in 2015 as an open access platform, but a decade later and it makes its money through data partnerships. It is too early to know if this includes fashion brands, or will in the future.

ChatGPT search engine. Photo: OpenAI

I ask about shirts for taller frames and received an informative reply about how “regular” fits from Zara and Winifred Mills tend to suit longer limbs. It also offers more styling tips, such as boxy cuts should be balanced with fitted bottoms. When I type the deliberately vague “how to find jeans that fit”, it translates my size into denim measurements and recommends sit-tests and rise heights depending on my shape. Not exactly revolutionary, but solid advice nonetheless.

Then there’s the age-old puzzle: “Is a UK size 12 at Zara the same as a UK size 12 at H&M?” The response is familiar: Zara runs small, H&M is erratic, but then, oddly, the assistant provides a sizing chart suggesting the exact opposite; Zara’s size 12 is actually larger than H&M’s. The lesson? AI has blind spots, and it's up to us to double-check. There is a reason why it footnotes every page with the caveat that it "can make mistakes. Check important information."

Still, the assistant proves its worth in unexpected ways. My search for second-hand men’s suits in Dubai proffers the usual suspects - Dubizzle and The Luxury Closet - but also Preloved Outlet DXB, a previously unknown gem. It’s these small discoveries that make the tool feel less robotic and more like a resourceful friend.

Does it do everything? Certainly not. But for those happy to ask detailed questions, it offers a shortcut through the digital sprawl

Sarah Maisey

After 15 minutes, I’ve amassed a surprisingly large dossier of shirts, jeans and sustainability pointers, none of which replace trying on clothes, of course. But as fewer of us brave fluorescent changing rooms, the ability to sift through endless online options feels like the future.

Does it do everything? Certainly not. But for those happy to ask detailed questions, it offers a shortcut through the digital sprawl. Sizing comparisons are straightforward, the hyperlinks are simple and the tone is jargon-free.

In a world overwhelmed with choice, ChatGPT’s new assistant feels less like another shopping gimmick and more like the future of fashion retail – quietly efficient, gently opinionated and – most importantly – always online.