You’re reading Oak Drive’s Monthly Update — a newsletter about me and my brother building a clothing brand from scratch. Each issue shares honest updates, real thoughts, and the actual numbers behind creating something high-quality and sustainable.
No playbook. No overnight success. Just two brothers trying to do it right — one misstep at a time.
Let’s get into it.
— Nick
TL;DR
✅ Final samples of pants + sweatshirt are in (they fit… just not on Johnny).
💸 Domestic manufacturing quotes are insane ($6,176 for 50 pants = $123.50 each before fabric/trims).
✈️ Peru is looking like the path forward: ~half the price, but higher MOQs and a 2-month delay.
🧢 New hat designs finished and first order should arrive any day now.
📦 Johnny is officially our “3PL” in charge of shipping.
🛒 Our Shopify store’s under development — hat preorders are almost here.
Pant and Sweatshirt Samples are Done!!
Big milestone: we finally got our final samples of the pants and sweatshirt in hand. The pants turned out great — having the actual garment means we can finally shop around for more realistic quotes instead of just relying on sketches and tech packs.
This was also Johnny’s first time ever trying them on, since he wasn’t able to make it out to LA for the initial fitting. For weeks, Johnny had been insisting he’d slide right into the 33-inch waist, bragging about slimming down from his old size-38 Lululemon days. You can be the judge.
Mr Thunder Thighs
Normal Human
The good news? Johnny is not the average build, and after testing on normal humans, I can confirm the pants do fit the way they’re supposed to.
I even wore them out to the US Open this week and they held up great. (Unfortunately, they also survived getting spattered by some mysterious New York City subway liquid — which is not the kind of durability test I had in mind, but they passed.)
All jokes aside, the fit and design looked solid, and it felt like we’re one step closer to locking down production… or at least that’s what I thought.
The Reality of Manufacturing Domestically
Based on our previous experience with TEG — the design group we’ve been working with to create the sample — my hopes weren’t very high for the manufacturing quote they were going to give us, and let me tell you, they did not disappoint.. The number came back at $6,176 for 50 pairs of pants, which works out to about $123.50 per pair — and this is not even including fabric, trims, or shipping costs.
Us, trying to get to actually manufacturing our pants
After what they’ve already charged us just to get this far, you can bet I won’t be handing them another cent. We’re also reaching out to other domestic manufacturers, and while early conversations suggest prices might land closer to $70–80 per pair, it still puts U.S. production firmly in the “tough to make work” category for a small brand like ours.
It’s the harsh reality of trying to produce small-batch clothing domestically. As much as we love the idea of “Made in the USA,” at those numbers, Oak Drive would be less a clothing brand and more a charity case.
Next Steps: Peru vs. Domestic
That leaves us with a decision: keep chasing a unicorn domestic factory that can make the numbers work, or lean into Peru — which is looking more promising by the day.
We’ve been in talks with a vertically integrated Peruvian factory. They spin the fabric and sew the garments under one roof. That’s a big win for sustainability and consistency — and it means no juggling shipments of fabric and trims between multiple partners.
Peru also has a long history of producing some of the world’s best organic cotton. The pricing is far more reasonable, the quality easily rivals U.S. production, and the process feels streamlined instead of nickel-and-dimed. Their ballpark quote came in at about half the price per pair all-in (minus shipping) — no $900 “management fees” like with our friends at TEG.
The tradeoff? Their MOQ per color is 200 pairs, which likely means we’ll launch with just one pant color. And the timeline? Working with them will probably push things back about two months. Not ideal. Just when it feels like we’re close, another curveball comes along.
Still, if the choice is between 50 pants domestically at $70 each or 200 pants from Peru at half the price, the math pretty much makes itself. Peru is starting to look like the realistic way to get Oak Drive out of your inbox and into your closet.
New Hat Designs
While pants have hit a few speed bumps, we’ve made real progress on the hat front. Our new designs feature cleaner embroidery and a couple of bold concepts we think you’ll love. Unlike pants and sweatshirts, hats move a little faster in production, so this is one area where you’ll likely see product sooner. The first order of our hats should actually arrive any day now.
We’re working with a new company on these and have already submitted the designs. Samples are being created now so we can check quality firsthand — and we’re already feeling more confident with this manufacturer. They’re far easier to communicate with than our last partner. While they do outsource to China (and we’re still chasing the dream of finding a true U.S. based hat manufacturer), this feels like a solid step forward.
Shipping & Preorders
We’ve put Johnny in charge of shipping our products to customers — which is great, because nothing says “efficient logistics” like Johnny with a roll of packing tape. He’s also figuring out how we’ll package and brand our shipments so that when the hats are ready, they’ll arrive looking as good as they feel. He’s basically my own personal 3PL, and the best part is that he comes free of charge.
Our Shopify store is still under development as we refine the details and get everything just right. Preorders aren’t open quite yet, but they’ll be available soon. When the time comes, all of our loyal subscribers will get a friendly discount as a thank-you for following along with us — so stay tuned!
▶ Song on repeat: Smooth Operator by Sade
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