Microsoft Brings Retro Designs With New Hardwear Clothing Collection

That said, viewers might not actually know what the clothing is advertising just by looking at the name that’s printed on the apparel. Hardwear isn’t exactly a known brand, and only the buyers will probably associate them with Microsoft. Only two pieces — a pair of t-shirts, to be exact — actually have explicit references to the software giant. One shirt has the old-school Microsoft Paint icon printed on its back, while another has the iconic Windows XP wallpaper.

The other pieces are pretty plain, including the jacket and overshirt. Some, like the sweatpants and cargo tech pants, look almost old school and out of fashion. That seems to be a recurring theme in the collection, though, especially with nods to classics like MS Paint and Windows XP. Whether you’d be proud to be seen wearing those might depend on how hard you’re rooting for Microsoft and want to support its fashion line. At least it’s not the Xbox Onesie, which would have probably gotten you laughed out of the room unless you’re with other Xbox fans.

Without the Microsoft references, the entire collection is pretty much average and nondescript, which is perfectly normcore, in other words. This is a two-edged sword since it allows these clothes to be worn almost anywhere and on any occasion that doesn’t call for formal wear. On the flip side, some consumers may find them boring or even unidentifiable, which sort of defeats the purpose of being a walking brand advertisement.