The rolling hills of Windows XP’s “Bliss” wallpaper were always iconic, even in the 2000s. Bliss is one of the most well-known photographs in the world, it helped to define art and computing at the turn of the century, and it’s now the subject of a Microsoft-branded ugly Christmas sweater.
Microsoft has quietly turned ugly Christmas sweaters into a holiday tradition. Last year, it sold aClippy sweater, and it offered aMinesweeper sweaterin 2021. But the newWindows Ugly Sweater: Bliss Editionis much more recognizable than those other offerings, and it isn’t explicitly holiday themed (meaning that you may wear it all year).
Also, Microsoft didn’t just slap a picture of Bliss onto a sweater. It turnedthe whole sweaterinto a retro, five-color version of Bliss. There’s even a cursor at the bottom of the sweater, which really hammers down the “yes, I’m wearing Windows XP apparel” concept. You’d look like such a nerd if you wore this thing in 2001, but it’s cool today.
The Bliss sweater made its debut during a November 28th “Sweaterathon” event. Viewers on Instagram and TikTok enjoyed a Windows history lesson, some trivia, and the Bliss sweater reveal. Microsoft has also plastered Y2K-inspired imagery across theXbox Gear Shopand published anhour-long lofi music playlistbased on the Windows XP operating system. It’s the kind of stuff that we expected to see onWindows XP’s 20th anniversary, which we celebrated just a few years ago.
If you’re bold enough to wear Windows XP on your sleeve, head over to the Xbox Gear Shop andbuy the Bliss sweater. It’s available in sizes up to 3XL and costs $70. An unspecified portion of the proceeds will go toThe Nature Conservancy. Microsoft says that this sweater is in limited supply, so don’t wait too long to snag one if you’re interested.
Windows Ugly Sweater: Bliss Edition
Feel the warmth of 2000s computing with Microsoft’s limited-edition Windows Ugly Sweater: Bliss Edition. It’s totally Y2K-compliant, but it doesn’t come with any free CDs.
