Sure, the evidence for Microsoft being the epitome of distasteful nerd fashion is overwhelming. Between decades of photos of Bill Gates' in his horrendous wardrobe along with the odyssey of Apple's Mac vs. PC commercials, it's easy to believe that if Microsoft were to conceive of a fashion line, it would consist of Cosby sweater vests and awkward-fitting corduroys. Armed with a bunch of retro t-shirt designs and an endorsement from rapper Common, Microsoft is out to set the record straight.

Will it catch on? At this point, it's hard to say. The surprising part is that Microsoft's collection of nostalgic and geeky graphic tees are actually pretty cool. The line -- dubbed Softwear (how dorky is that?) -- hit select stores on December 15 and features four designs by Microsoft and a few conceived by Common. We think the execution is pretty good, especially the old school MS-DOS shirt -- but does anyone really feel all that nostalgic about Microsoft?

The venture into clothing definitely shows some resolve from Microsoft to shake the nerdy perception that they've been struggling with for a long time. Maybe, just maybe ... Microsoft has made a step forward here. The collaboration with Common seems a bit forced, but it has to go over better than those Jerry Seinfeld commercials.

[via SeeJackShop]