Is AI The New Fashion Consultant?

Putting a look together can actually be an exhausting task. For many, it involves staring at the clothes inside their closet and trying different permutations of ensembles based on Pinterest mood boards, influencers’ IGs, or what’s trending on the FYP. But for others, it can be as simple as opening an AI-powered app, typing a prompt, and *boom* you’ve got a fire ‘fit.

In recent years, AI — particularly large language models (LLMs — e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude) — has taken on the roles of personal stylist, shopper, and consultant for a growing number of women. Per Business of Fashion’s State of Fashion 2026 report, shopping-related generative AI searches increased by 4,700% in 2025, with 53% of U.S. consumers who used generative AI for search also using it to shop. It’s also a great tool for mapping out outfits on rushed mornings, interpreting dress codes, helping travelers pack with confidence, and pushing people’s style in directions they wouldn’t have taken otherwise.

You don’t even need a prompt to imagine looks when shopping online. Google’s Virtual Try-On feature can do that for you. All you need to do is upload a single selfie, and you can see what you’d look like wearing any given item. Think of it as a real-world version of Cher’s “gamified” closet in Clueless, but instead of being limited to your own wardrobe’s contents, you have billions to choose from — more than 50 billion listings from Google’s Shopping Graph, to be exact.

“The whole world becomes your closet,” says Dominique McGowan, Google’s product manager of GenAI for Shopping. Mind you, it’s not an exact science, as proportions aren’t considered. McGowan tells Bustle, “Virtual Try-On is a vibe check. What we want to do is make it easy to explore your style, get inspired, and give people new confidence when they’re shopping for clothes online.” It’s an easy way to explore different colors, silhouettes, and styles. (Pro tip: It’s also an easy way to “try on” designer pieces.)

Even the most AI-savvy girlies know that no matter how many platforms you use, nothing can replace taste and the IRL experience of trying on clothes. But it can definitely be beneficial to incorporate into your daily life.

Ahead, three women share how they’ve let AI infiltrate their closets and the style payoff.

“It felt like playing with paper dolls again.”

About six months ago, I fed my selfie to a free color analysis website, but I wanted a deeper explanation of my “deep winter” assessment without having to spend a fortune to consult an expert. ChatGPT felt like a shortcut.

It just snowballed from there. I started asking AI if my outfits were suitable for my skin tone. For funsies, after Bridgerton Season 4 premiered, I even tried to reimagine a terno [the traditional Filipino attire] for the show by using my latest wedding-guest ’fit as a jumping-off point. It felt like playing with paper dolls again. It was quite fitting that Gemini even had a Bridgerton promo featuring Hyacinth trying out different gowns.

I usually feed it a picture or two and use prompts like, “Generate a dark-blue sleeveless gown that would suit my figure and haircut.” Then I keep iterating until I find something I’m happy with. I’d say AI acts as a fashion consultant for about 30–40% of my fashion needs.

When AI once suggested a light-pink outfit wasn’t suitable for me, I begged to differ because I felt positively glowing in it.

Though it’s a great tool, ultimately you’re the one who determines if AI’s recommendations suit you. AI doesn’t usually help me arrive at the final result. My confidence comes from bringing that vision to life. So when AI once suggested a light-pink outfit wasn’t suitable for me, I begged to differ because I felt positively glowing in it.

—Pauline Lapus, 33, creative director

“I use AI to find deals.”

I worked at Google for my last role and have been using AI for a while. But I didn’t make the fashion connection until I was looking at social media and was like, “These outfit ideas are really cool, but where do I get them? Maybe I can set an alert for it to get me something cheaper.” I started to figure out ways it can help me.

In my day-to-day, I use AI to find deals. I’m tracking this John Galliano Dior T-shirt from the ’90s, and I’ve set an alert for anytime it gets below the $400 threshold. I take an image of the item I want and say, “I want to buy this. Alert me when you find one that drops below X price.”

I found Stuart Weitzman wedges for $36 that I set an alert for two months ago. It was ridiculous. Who gets $36 shoes, let alone Stuart Weitzman?

Also on Chrome, Google has a little built-in shopping tracker. You go to the product page, click the button, and it’ll track it. I found Stuart Weitzman wedges for $36 that I set an alert for two months ago. It was ridiculous. Who gets $36 shoes, let alone Stuart Weitzman?

I also use AI when I travel. I’d prompt, “I’m going to Italy at this time of year. What’s the vibe? Weather? What are people wearing?” And so I get an overview, then I start plugging the clothes I feel like wearing. I’m taking pictures of outfits, putting them all in there, and saying, “Which pants can I leave and still get the most outfits? Optimize this wardrobe for me so I don’t overpack.”

When I started making fashion content on TikTok, I was afraid that personal stylists would think, “What is she talking about?” But I’m a style strategist, so I’m like, “How do you do this the most efficiently?” I don’t think AI replaces a personal stylist or taste. Fashion is so tactical, visual, it’s movement, all those things. But I had no hesitation that it would be super, super helpful for the average person.

We move through the world saying, “Oh, that’s cute.” Or, “I love the way she put that together.” But actually being able to articulate, “What is my style? What do I like? Not like?” The biggest way it helps my audience is just getting clarity. Take the link to your Pinterest board, put it in AI, and say, “This is the link to my Pinterest board. Help me understand a common thread between this.”

When I share the prompts I plug into AI with my followers, I get so many people saying, “This was a game-changer. I had no idea that AI could do this for me.” A lot of times, people feel overwhelmed and not in the driver’s seat with their style. But when you use AI for something as simple as, “What are my colors?” Or, “What do I wear to this wedding in June?” and it gives you ideas, takes into consideration your body type, time of year, location, and all the little data points you would have to synthesize on your own, it’s a light-bulb moment. That’s the biggest compliment I get. I love that it helps people feel clearer and in control.

—Des Awofeso, 42, style strategist and content creator

“I still need validation from friends.”

I ask AI for style opinions. I’d typically upload an outfit option and use Samsung’s built-in AI to reimagine certain elements, like I’d ask it to make the shoes gold or red. Then I’d move to ChatGPT, feed it the options, and ask which outfit is better. I ask simple styling questions like, “With jacket or without?” I also tell it the vibe I’m going for, like if I want it to be more elegant or casual. Or what top goes well with a specific bottom style.

I also use it for attending events that have dress codes. I upload the invites directly so it can make outfit suggestions. I always use multiple platforms to see if the recommendations are different. At the end of the day, I still feel it’s my style, so I wouldn’t credit AI entirely for my outfits, even if it helped. I just ask for opinions, and I tweak the styling to make it more me.

If I had to choose between listening to AI’s advice and my friends’, I’d stick to the latter.

Plus, I still take every suggestion with a grain of salt. I still need validation from friends, so I still send pics of my outfit options to them when I’m unsure, but I like using AI for initial ideas. If I had to choose between listening to AI’s advice and my friends’, I’d stick to the latter. 100%.

—Angela N., 41, content creator and businesswoman

Interviews were edited and condensed for clarity.