I've Been in Fashion My Whole Career—My Gut Says These Are 2020's Biggest Items

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(Image credit: Oscar Landon / @oscarlandon)

I began my career as a fashion editor back in 2010 (fun fact: it was at Who What Wear!) and throughout the past nine-plus years, I've observed countless trends come and go—and come and go all over again. Low-slung jeans, oversized sunglasses, flatform sandals; if it was a style trend in the last decade, I probably covered it in some capacity. And though I don't consider myself anything akin to a trend forecaster, at this point I do believe I have an intuitive sense of when an item is going to pick up steam and have longevity in the trend cycle.

In the spirit of celebrating a new decade, I rounded up the items I suspect will be huge come 2020. Continue ahead to see what they are and if you want to get ahead of the curve, shop the pieces you'll keep in your closet for the next ten years.

The Macro Bag

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(Image credit: @gabrielforsach)

You can kiss your micro bags goodbye because 2020 is going to be all about the oversize bag. 

The Sustainable Jewelry Piece

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(Image credit: @galagonzalez)

This year was all about sustainability, especially when it came to fashion. Next year, brands that emphasize eco-friendly production practices will lead the pack.

The Power Suit

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(Image credit: @alyssainthecity)

Female empowerment and the suiting trend go hand in hand, which is why these tailored separates are destined to pick up steam in the coming months.

The Whimsical Print

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(Image credit: @double3xposure)

It's no coincidence everyone and their mother wore something tie-dye in 2019. Keep an eye on whimsical, playful prints in the New Year.

The Sensible Heel

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(Image credit: @bettinalooney)

High heels are cool and all, but so is your foot health, which is why fashion is likely to continue stepping in a more comfortable direction in 2020.

The Vegan-Leather Staple

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(Image credit: @chrissyford)

Thanks to brands like Nanushka and Stella McCartney that are elevating the fabric, stylish vegan-leather separates are a glorious reality.

The Updated Cardigan

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(Image credit: @champagnemani)

Everyone's murmuring about the new take on the cardigan these days, which means the next six months have a very exciting knitwear situation in store for them.

The Straight-Leg Jean Silhouette

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(Image credit: @camillecharriere)

Long gone are the days when skinnies were the denim silhouette du jour—it's all about the straight leg now, just you wait.

And now: seven street style trends that will dominate in 2020.

Nicole Kliest
Freelance Contributor

Nicole Kliest is a freelance writer and editor based in New York City who focuses on fashion, travel, food, wine, and pretty much anything else that's amusing to write about. After graduating from Pepperdine University with a bachelor's in journalism and creative writing, she started her career back in 2010 as Who What Wear's photo editor and throughout the last decade has contributed to publications including Fashionista, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, The Zoe Report, PopSugar, Fodor's Travel, and several others. She also copywrites and has worked with clients such as Frame, Sea, 3x1, Intelligentsia, and others to develop brand voices through storytelling and creative marketing. She's very passionate about the ways we can improve our sustainability efforts in the fashion industry as well as cultivating content that's diverse and inclusive of all people. When she's not checking out the latest restaurant opening in her West Village neighborhood or riding her bicycle along the West Side Highway, she can be found scheming her next trip somewhere around the world. (Up next is Vienna.)