Winter clothes have been banished to the back of the closet as the warm weather quickly turns hot. There are more parties, outdoor concerts and weddings to attend, which means the need for fresh new fits for all the summer soirees.
With trends coming and going on social media apps, it’s hard to keep up. Plus, Tulsans tend to have their own sense of style.
“It’s definitely not your big city fashion. It seems to be more of a refined grunginess to it that definitely has a Western vibe to it as well,” said local designer David D’Angelo Caldwell. “I see a lot of really cool hats and nice fitting jackets.”
David D’Angelo Caldwell in his Brookside studio, where he creates leather jackets, handbags and other accessories that are trending this year. Credit: Tim Landes / Tulsa Flyer 
David D’Angelo Caldwell at work in his Brookside studio cutting leather fringe for a handbag. Credit: Tim Landes / Tulsa Flyer 
David D’Angelo Caldwell’s leather jackets have been seen on “The Lowdown” and being worn by show creator Sterlin Harjo. Credit: Tim Landes / Tulsa Flyer
That’s different from the oversized fits popular in markets like New York and Los Angeles, he said.
“When you see the baggy look, it tends to lean more to a younger demographic,” Caldwell said. “I think the older demographics, like myself, want to be a little more refined, but still have their own style and their own edge.”
Caldwell and Black Sheep Boutique owner Sarah Lawrence-Harmon both say accessories are trending this spring and summer. At the Cherry Street shop, besides the dresses and shoes, items like sunglasses, necklaces, earrings, chunky rings and hand bags are constantly going out in shopping bags.
A classic European accessory is also having a moment.
“Scarves are big this year — like the little bandana scarves,” Lawrence-Harmon said. “A head scarf worn as a belt is really cute, like actually looping it through the belt loops. Also wearing it as a top.”
Black Sheep Boutique owner Sarah Lawrence-Harmon in trending attire from her Cherry Street boutique. Credit: Tim Landes / Tulsa Flyer 
Black Sheep Boutique employee Mia White wears trending accessories from the Cherry Street boutique, like sunglasses and scarves. Credit: Tim Landes / Tulsa Flyer 
Black Sheep Boutique owner Sarah Lawrence-Harmon in trending attire from her Cherry Street boutique. Credit: Tim Landes / Tulsa Flyer
Later this month, Caldwell will leave his Brookside studio at 3509 S. Peoria Ave. to do a pop-up shop at Jenkins and Co., 1335 E. 11th St. Suite E., during the Route 66 Capital Cruise weekend May 28-30. There, he’ll sell handmade keychains and leather bags, plus other leather goods.
“Fringe seems to be really popular right now. Of course, leather is popular, it seems like all seasons,” said Caldwell, whose leather jackets have been seen on “The Lowdown” and its creator Sterlin Harjo. “Furs seem to be a lot more popular now, so we’re going to incorporate some fur details on some of the handbags. I’m working with a local furrier here in town to help out with that.”
Down the street from Jenkins and Co. is Umber, a fashion passion project for lifelong Tulsan Carolina Gonzalez Hammock. Her boutique, at 1416 E 11th St. Suite 2, is full of attire she says is meant to be “your unique occasion piece.” She tries to maintain an inventory that mostly costs less than $100, but she does also carry the highly sought-after Rumored dresses out of New York City that come with a bit higher price tag.
Gonzalez Hammock says browns and the buttery yellow trends from last year have carried over into the spring.
“There’s a lot of lace, which I love,” she said. “A lot of the asymmetrical tops with the lace trim, the shorts with the lace trim on the bottom — those have been huge.”
Heading into summer, she expects to see an influx of prints and colors inspired by the sea.
“You’re going to see a lot of seashells, sailboats, starfish, clams and those kinds of colors like cerulean blue,” Gonzalez Hammock said. “I’m calling it. I think it’s going to be huge, huge, huge this year.”
A few blocks south at Black Sheep, employee Mia White said polka dots and stripes are having a moment — as they always seem to be.
“But I feel like summer stripes this year are fun colors and different colorways, like the green and pink and brown and pink, and all of the different funky patterns that I think makes it kind of elevated,” said White, who also operates online boutique Simone Styled. “Honestly, just the maximalist fashion style I feel like is going to be really big this summer.”
At the end of the day, fashion is what you make of it, says Lawrence-Harmon. She loves seeing more and more people ignoring the latest fast fashion trend or social media fad to find the right fit that will last them a long time.
“I feel like more people are buying what they like versus what they are told is trending, and I want to see more of that,” she said. “I want people to wear what they actually want to wear, not wear something because someone else told them that it was cute.”
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