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Fashion collaborations

Microsoft’s Hardwear Collection With Gavin Mathieu: What the 2022 Line Included

Microsoft’s 2022 Hardwear collection paired Normcore-inspired clothing with Windows nostalgia. Here’s what the nine-piece line included, what it cost and its current status.

By TheFinanceBase Team 3 min read
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Microsoft launched Hardwear, a nine-piece clothing capsule designed with Gavin Mathieu, in July 2022. The collection paired understated streetwear shapes with Windows XP and MS Paint references, but it is no longer available from Microsoft as of August 18, 2026.

What was Microsoft Hardwear?

Hardwear was Microsoft’s first capsule collection of clothing and merchandise under the Microsoft brand, created with Los Angeles designer Gavin Mathieu. The official announcement appeared on July 15, 2022; Microsoft had published a companion article about the collection’s creative approach on July 12. The name plays on “hardware” and “streetwear,” though Microsoft’s own framing focused on creativity, self-expression and clothing for people who “move and create.” Microsoft’s announcement and its Hardwear: Create with Intention article describe the collaboration.

The “first” claim needs a narrow reading: Microsoft called it its first capsule collection under the Microsoft brand, not its first apparel merchandise of any kind. The company had previously released Windows- and MS Paint-themed apparel and holiday sweaters, including nostalgia merchandise tied to Minesweeper. Contemporary coverage noted that earlier history.

Who is Gavin Mathieu?

Mathieu is the founder and creative director of Supervsn Studios, a Los Angeles-based creative studio. Microsoft described his work as focused on uplifting and empowering creators. In an interview with Essence, he connected the partnership to shared values and a mutual interest in uplifting creatives; he also discussed teaching himself graphic design and the role technology played in his creative development.

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Why did the collection look the way it did?

Microsoft described Hardwear as Normcore-inspired: simple clothing intended to put the individual ahead of conspicuous fashion and reduce distractions from creativity. That concept met unmistakable references to Microsoft’s past: retro logo treatments, Windows XP imagery and an MS Paint-inspired design. The result was restrained in silhouette but recognizable to people familiar with the software.

That mix was central to the collection’s appeal and its limits. The simple shapes could read as everyday casualwear, while the specific software references made the pieces more like wearable nostalgia than neutral designer basics.

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What was in the nine-piece collection?

Microsoft said the capsule had nine pieces across tees, hats, sweats, jackets and pants. Contemporary reports identified these items and launch-period prices; the prices below are historical reported retail figures, not current offers.

Item Design or feature Reported launch-period price
Windows XP “Blue Sky Green Hill” T-shirt Reference to the familiar Windows XP desktop image $60, reported by Windows Central and TechWorm
MS Paint-inspired “Never Not Creating” T-shirt Classic Paint imagery paired with a creativity message $60, reported by Windows Central and TechWorm
“It’s In You, Not On You” T-shirt Message-led tee $60 per T-shirt in launch coverage; the individual design price was not stated separately by those sources
Inbox Overshirt Utility-style overshirt Approximately $90 in one contemporary report, Znews
Green Utility Jacket Utility jacket $135, reported by Windows Central
Hardwear Sweatpants Sweatpants $80, reported by The Register
Cargo Tech Pants Convertible pants with a zipper allowing them to be worn as shorts $150, reported by Windows Central and The Register
Crewneck sweater Crewneck Not stated in the cited contemporary sources
Hardwear hat or cap Branded headwear Conflicting reports: $45 from Windows Central, $25 from Creative Bloq, and about $48 from Znews

The hat figures should not be treated as a single verified price: reports may refer to different cap products, regional prices or reporting discrepancies. Contemporary coverage repeatedly reported $60 T-shirts, while Windows Central reported the jacket at $135 and the tech pants at $150.

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Why did the launch draw attention—and price criticism?

Microsoft is better known for software, operating systems, gaming, cloud services and hardware than for designer apparel. Hardwear stood out by turning corporate nostalgia into a designer collaboration and selling the idea as a creative philosophy rather than ordinary logo merchandise. Its prices also prompted pushback: some coverage questioned whether $60 shirts, a $135 jacket and $150 pants made sense for Microsoft-branded casualwear. Windows Central, The Register and TechSpot documented that reaction.

The disagreement reflects the collection’s positioning. It was presented as designer-led streetwear, not low-cost promotional apparel; the appeal depended on whether a buyer valued the cut and design concept as well as the Microsoft references. The available sources do not establish materials, production methods, sizing details or sustainability claims, so those cannot be used to judge the prices more precisely.

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Can you still buy Microsoft Hardwear?

No, not from Microsoft: its archived collection page says Hardwear is no longer available. The launch announcement originally directed shoppers to Microsoft.com/Hardwear, and contemporary reporting also described sales through the Xbox Gear Shop, but those are historical channels rather than confirmed current listings. Microsoft’s archived page is the current availability reference.

A secondhand listing may appear, but no reliable current resale price benchmark is established here. Check any listing against period campaign images, item names, logos and labels; marketplace descriptions alone do not establish authenticity. Resale prices and availability can vary.

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