Fashion trends are a lot like wasabi. (Hear us out). Applied sparingly, they lend your outfits a certain edge. Slather them on too liberally and expect tears. And yet, men are increasingly opting for the more-is-more option, diving feet first into looks as though what they see on runways, or on Instagram, has any relation to how anyone should dress in the real world. “Trends should be something that enhance an outfit,” says Alexander McCalla, from men’s online styling service Thread. “They shouldn’t be the entire outfit.” Instead, he recommends using trends as a way to make core pieces feel current. “You can add something seasonal to the clothes you wear all-year and it will make your wardrobe feel up-to-date, without looking tryhard.” To that end, here are six of this season’s biggest trends and the one thing you should borrow from each.

Warcore

The Trend

Tactical vests. Combat boots. Pockets on pockets on pockets. The warcore trend, spearheaded by don’t-call-them-streetwear brands like Heron Preston, 1017 Alyx 9SM and Off-White, is all about dressing for the barricades. Although considering the price tags, those barricades are more likely to be the ones marshalling the queue at a Dover Street Market sample sale.

The Take: Patch Pockets

You might think warcore is a spin-off from that perennial trend, military. But actually, it’s an extension of the practical clothes ushered in by normcore and then gorpcore (blame Vogue for these names, not us) – think fleeces, cargo trousers and hiking boots. A SWAT team-inspired vest is a tasteless style swerve with which we cannot get on board, but we are all about its clever layering and glut of pockets. So, to nod to this trend, look for clothes that look war-adjacent, rather than like Helmand Province cosplay; think patch-pocketed utility jackets, buckled backpacks and vests in canvas, rather than webbing.