Every year, the fashion industry dishes out an endless array of new trends, ranging from the aspirational looks you see on fashion runways, to those that become commercially viable looks, as seen in shop windows and maybe even on your best-dressed friends.

The big question is, how do you know which ones are worth paying attention to for the average guy? We?ve cut through noise and pulled together the top four trends worth knowing about, and why these have emerged as trends this year. Keep these trends in mind as you start shopping this spring.

Trend #1 - Patchwork

Picture the classic teddy bear that many kids get when they are young. If that bear makes it through the owner?s childhood, it has almost certainly been patched up at least a few times. That image should give you a good idea of what to expect from our first trend for 2020 - patchwork.

The driving force behind this trend comes from a positive place - apparel brands shifting their focus toward sustainability and more environmentally sensitive practices.

The apparel industry has historically been one of the most wasteful industries on the planet, in part due to deadstock, which is a term used to describe clothing that was produced, but didn?t sell. Rather than selling off these items at deep discounts, some brands choose to destroy the stock (which, one way or the other, ends up in landfills) rather than risk the prestige their brand carries. In 2018, it was exposed that Burberry burned its deadstock rather than sell it at discounted prices.

Enter "upcycling" - a welcome alternative to the highly questionable practices employed in the past by some apparel companies. The idea behind upcycling is to repurpose unsold inventory. This is where patchwork comes in as one method of repurposing - new garments are produced out of several different sources of fabrics taken from the deadstock. So if you end up buying something following the patchwork trend, there?s a reasonably good chance that you?re buying something more environmentally friendly than some other alternatives.

Some of the biggest uses of patchwork you?ll see this spring include panels, statement pockets, cargo pockets and use of satin and other luminous fabrics in clothing.

Take a look at a few examples of patchwork, below.

Javio Patchwork Blazer from Tiger of Sweden

Patch Pocket shirt from Loewe

Renoire Patchwork Overshirt from Reiss

Trend #2 - Oversized Shirt Jackets

A throwback that takes its inspiration from physical labourers that worked outdoors and needed a heavy duty - but light - shirt/jacket to help deal with the elements, the oversized shirt jacket is a trend you?ll see plenty of in 2020.

As part of a general trend toward layering, this year sees an emphasis on trucker jackets, work-style shirts, chore jackets and utility shirts. Typically, these casual shirts are worn on top of a t-shirt in an oversized, loose fit.

The oversized shirt jacket look is one that guys can feel comfortable wearing and doesn?t require much thought matching pieces together. The oversized jacket can pair back to your go-to jeans and sneakers or a pair of boots, so you don?t need to replace your entire closet to embrace this look.

Have a look at a few examples of this look, below.

Denim chore coat from A.P.C.

Luco overshirt from Tiger of Sweden

Shirt Jacket from Giorgio Brato

Trend #3 - Relaxed Tailoring

These days, there aren?t too many guys wearing suits and ties to work on a daily basis, but there is a resurgence of dress pants and - to a lesser extent - blazers being worn to work and to social functions. In many cases, men are even opting to wear dress pants paired with everything from a casual shirt to a hoodie.

At the same time, over the past few years, we?ve seen a true casualization of the workplace. There are cases where sweatpants and joggers have been deemed acceptable workwear attire.

Our #3 Trend for 2020 brings together these two seemingly opposing concepts through the idea of Relaxed Tailoring. Relaxed tailoring refers to looser fitting dress pants rather than the more common slim fitting pants. The use of denim in tailoring is a part of this trend as well.

Choosing dress pants as an alternative to a more casual pant is a great way to introduce a new item into your closet that also nails one of this year?s big trends. Selecting pants that are staples and easy to match other items with - such as black dress pants - are also a safe investment. As luck would have it, one of the biggest colours this spring is black, so a pair of black dress pants might be a great - and easy - place to start if you?re looking to jump on this trend.

Have a look at some examples of the relaxed tailoring trend, below.

Darion sweatshirt worn with dress pants from Tiger of Sweden

Blackhall Marino Wool Jumper from Reiss

Dressing up the Darian T-Shirt from Tiger of Sweden

A relaxed tailored look from Reiss, wearing the Vice Grey Zip Through Overshirt

Trend #4 - Vibrant Colours

The current obsession with everything 90s extends into fashion too. This means that the bright and bold colours (think Will Smith on Fresh Prince of Bel Air) of the decade that were once worn by all are back, and is our #4 Trend to look out for in 2020.

This time around, there really aren't a lot of rules to worry about to partake in this trend. It really doesn't matter what vibrant colour you choose to wear - simply wear whatever colours you like the most and pair them back to your favourite clothing. Likewise, there are also no rules about how many bright colours should be worn together, meaning the more vibrant colours there are in one outfit, the more fashion forward the look.

If you feel wearing a lot of bright colours takes you too far out of your comfort zone, there are ways to introduce more vibrant colours into your wardrobe without taking too many risks.

Some ideas include trying to introduce a dress shirt in purple, which matches everything from greys to different navy pants, or wearing a brighter, more vibrant blue than your typical "go-to" light blue. You could also introduce the one colour that?s not going anywhere if it?s not already in your closet - green. Many skin tones work well with a rich forest green and the colour works well with everything including blue, black and grey jeans.

Have a look at some examples of colourful looks, below.

The vibrant Nichols Pullover in Flame Red from Tiger of Sweden

Yellow Structured Crewneck from Profuomo

Some brands, like Colorful Standard, offer a huge variety of vibrant colours, as seen in this picture of their flagship store.

Whatever trends you choose to embrace this year, remember to look for items you will be able to wear to several different events. For instance, if you add a vibrantly coloured dress shirt, find ones you would want to wear to both work and on a date night. Not only will this save you money, but it will also create more versatility in your wardrobe.

And, of course, Gotengo is here to help remove the challenges of shopping for the right looks for you. Take advantage of our ability to shop by occasion and our Hyper-Personalization tools to help ensure you?re finding the right look for your needs.

Happy Shopping!