Minecraft's next update, scheduled for spring this year, is going to add a lot of new things to the game. The latest change officially announced is regarding armor, which will now be more customizable.
Armor has always been about adding protection, but it can also now be about looking good, as Mojang pointed out on their official blog:
"The latest Minecraft 1.20 addition is ready to be revealed, so without further ado let me present: armor trims! Armor has always been an important part of Minecraft, mainly because there are so many ways in which you can get hurt. Hostile mobs, steep cliffs, nighttime in general – the list goes on. Armor has protected you for years, and now it’s going from merely functional, to fashionable, too!"
To do this, players will need to get smithing templates. These new items will be used on smithing tables, so that block just got a lot more useful. The blog specified that these could be found in all worlds of Minecraft, so you may need to travel to the Nether or the End to find them.
The trims can be crafted on a smithing table, and resources like diamonds, copper, and Netherite can then be used to color them.
This may not be the best use of some resources, but it gives copper another use, which is always a good thing.
For Java Edition players, the armor trim changes will be available in this week's snapshot, which should be out tomorrow, January 25. For a guide on how to download it, check out this article.
Unfortunately, Bedrock players do not yet have access to this feature or the other announced 1.20 features. They are working on bringing them to betas and previews in the future, but for now, this will remain a Java exclusive.
Is there a date set for Minecraft 1.20?
In October of 2022, Mojang held a Minecraft Live in which they revealed a lot about the game's next update, including which mob won the Mob Vote. They also revealed that the 1.20 update would come in 2023.
It's pretty soon, but as of now, there is no official release date. That could mean that it's not coming out until December, but it could also mean it arrives in February.
The most likely option is somewhere in the middle, but keep a watch on official Mojang channels as they will announce an official release date sooner or later.