I can take it or leave it with some of the things Microsoft is doing with Windows 11 these days, but I generally enjoy the company's annual limited-time holiday sweater releases. Typically based on a specific image or product from the company's heyday in the '90s and early 2000s—the 2022 sweater was Clippy-themed, while the 2023 sweater was simply Windows XP Bliss wallpaper in sweater form—the sweaters usually have the exact combination of wacky/cute/recognizable, making them a good conversation starter at a holiday party.
Microsoft is reviving the tradition by 2025 after a year-long hiatus. this year's flagship $80 sweater design largely in line with what the company has done in recent years. The 2025 Artifact Holiday Sweater revives many of the pixelated icons that Windows 3.1–XP users will recognize, including Notepad, Reversi, Paint, MS-DOS, Internet Explorer, and even the MSN butterfly logo. Clippy is back in the spotlight and looks happy to be included on the list.
Not all icons are from Microsoft's past; emoji with sunglasses, number “50” in the style of the old flying Windows icon (for Microsoft's 50th anniversary), and Mining craft Creeper's face keeps nodding towards the company's more modern products. But the only one I really accept problem on the right sleeve, where Microsoft has attached a pixelated monochrome icon of its Copilot AI assistant.
