Black Friday (not Black Friday)
Black Friday is a trashy modern shopiholiday that makes me want to throw all my stuff in a bonfire and walk naked into the forest. This particular move is impractical at this juncture in my life, so we’re seeking a better way forward. In this, we have decided to embrace the spirit of the times, and have decided to celebrate this glorious coming together of art and commerce in the form of the following promotion:
1) Buy any piece of outerwear, and we will include, free of charge, one of our brand-new, golden-hue’d, made for us in NJ by union employees with jobs, baseball-style caps for FREE. Also available for purchase!
2) In case that alone is not exciting enough, we have just opened pre-books for our #1 selling Summit Mitten . Pre-books will close at the end of the week. And yes, we’re counting the mitts as outerwear, so we’ll include the cap with your order, through end of day Friday.
We expect that mitten slots will fill up very quickly, so get your order in quick if you need ‘em.
thanks always,
owner/operators
Steven & Pete
Also, a big thanks to all of you who came to visit us at the Owner Operator Pop Up at Nepenthes, NY. Swing by to try see our gear in person, through January.
Nepenthes, NY
307 W 38th St, New York, NY 10018
Owner Operator for Nepenthes, NY
Owner Operator for Nepenthes, NY
Owner Operator was founded in NYC in 2008, and we’re celebrating our 15th anniversary this season with a pop up at Nepenthes, NY.
We’ve enjoyed a long relationship with the crew at Nepenthes, with a shared love of hands-on design process, utilitarian garments, and local manufacturing.
Come check out a collection of garments we made specially for Nepenthes, including one-off pieces incorporating leftover fabrics from their previous collections, and special colorways designed for us by Daiki Suzuki.
Owner Operator Pop Up
Opening Party
11/10/23
7pm-9pm
307 W. 38th St.
New York, NY 10018
Lookbook Photography by Omi Tanaka
Modeled by Trung Nguyen
Fall 2023 Owner Operator Japan-Made Project
We’re proud to announce the launch of our new Japan-made Owner Operator project.
Working exclusively in the USA since 2008 has enabled Owner Operator to ensure that our gear is made in the best ways possible. We don’t cut corners, cut costs, fluff our margins, or flog our line like the big boys do.
Our unique approach connected with the scene in Japan since day one, but it has always been a challenge for us to sell there; between high shipping costs, import/export duties, fluctuating currencies, and the general headaches of international trade.
We’ve been fortunate to connect with the like-minded crew from AFD ICEGEAR. Like us, they cut and sew their own gear from scratch, right in their own factory in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.
We’ve known and admired them for years, and are excited to work together on this new project. AFD’s “394 Factory” brings an unprecedented level of technical excellence to our own designs.
This close collaboration with our friends in Japan makes the world feel a little smaller, and a lot more fun.
thank you,
owner/operators
Pete & Steven
F23 Owner Operator Japan-Made
‘93 Jacket and ‘93 Pant
3-Layer Brethatec ® Nylon Shell
Black, Chocolate, Khaki, Olive
Taped Seams
Cut and sewn from scratch by AFD ICEGEAR’s “394 Factory” in Yamanashi, Japan.
Limited to 30 kits worldwide.
Available exclusively at:
Owner Operator Bespoke Winter 2024
Dear Friends and Patrons,
As the summer 2023 begins to cool off, we find ourselves stowing away our boats and skis, anticipating the winter ahead. Back in the office, the chatter is filled with optimism about a better snow season in the North East compared to 2023. While we can't guarantee the same for California, Colorado, or S.L.C., there's no denying that Owner Operator outerwear has made many of the rainiest snow days more enjoyable.
We want to take this opportunity to remind our snowbound patrons about the wide range of customizable bespoke outerwear options we offer. Don't wait until the wait times start piling up; secure your order now if you already know what you want. With fifteen years of experience in crafting our own prototypes and creating exquisite bespoke outerwear pieces, our bespoke program follows a streamlined four-week process for patterning, cutting, and sewing.
Our Bespoke Offerings include:
Shelter Anorak
Summit Mitts
93 Pants
93 Parka
93 Bib
When it comes to bespoke design, the possibilities are endless. You can customize à la carte:
Size, measured to you.
Fit, matching the way you wear your clothing.
Use-specific pockets and placements specific for storm practicality.
Labeling, on “full blast”, or a more “discrete” approach.
Stitch detailing, Minimalist, Maximalist, or anywhere in between.
Fabric Embellishments, Patchwork, Applique, Embroidery, Personalization.
We understand that custom clothing isn't for everyone, but for those who appreciate it, we're here to start that conversation.
To learn more about the Owner Operator bespoke process, please visit our website: Owner Operator Bespoke.
Sincerely,
Pete and Steven Owners, Operators
Fifteen Years
PS and SK Utah, 2012 (?)
When you tell your friends that you’re starting a company they don’t really believe you. You may as well tell them that you’re going to write the Great American Novel first thing in the morning, but probably are down for another round or two before you leave the bar.
A couple of years of work later, you actually have some cool stuff to show for it. One of your buddies might even buy something, though they’re definitely asking for a discount.
Five or six years in, they’re wondering why you’re always too busy to hang out. You have a lot of new friends that have their own brands too.
If you’re lucky, maybe you’ve got a couple of dope pop up shops going.
Magazines start noticing what you’re doing. Your parents send you a clipping from the Times. Everybody is impressed.
Another five or six years go by, and there are a lot of ups and downs.
A decade in, most of your friends brands are out of business, have totally sold out, or have totally changed up their story. (links deleted). A few of them are still in the game though!
You get so involved in the craft of design and sewing that you lose track of time. Friends and family either have followed your journey every step of the way (rare), or ask you “how’s business” with one eyebrow strangely cocked. They have some “great ideas” about what you should do with your brand, but mostly just want you to hem a pair of pants for them, or sew some curtains for their kitchen.
Fifteen years in you’ve been around long enough not to be an exciting new brand anymore. Just long enough that people will miss you when you’re gone. Make it another ten and you’re a legitimate heritage brand.
We’re going for it.
Put a few bucks in our pocket for gas money so we can get there.
PRIVATE SALE
15% OFF EVERYTHING IN THE STORE
use the code “OOFOREVER” now- March 10
March 11, the sale goes public.
We haven’t done a real sale in years, so get in while the getting’s good.
Thank you for your support over the years,
owner/operators
Pete & Steven
American Made Parka
Finally, an Owner Operator outerwear piece for the top portion of your body. We've been busy sewing pants and mittens, and jackets don’t just magically poof into existence.
After a year of field testing, we’re ready to offer to you this perfect parka. Guaranteed to have a non-zero positive impact on your ability to survive, from city streets to mountain peaks.
The ‘93 Parka is sewn from premium waterproof and breathable 2L Nylon taslan, with a lightweight and soft poly lining. High storm collar, zippered hand pockets, adjustable hem, scuff butt, interior and exterior zippered chest pockets.
Ian is 5’9”, 155 lbs. and wearing size large.
Medium baggy fit.
DWR 2-LAYER COATED NYLON TASLAN SHELL
DURABLE YKK CENTER FRONT ZIP
MADE IN NYC
SIZE/CHEST/LENGTH/INNER SLEEVE
SMALL/40"/29"/23"
MEDIUM/42"/30"/24"
LARGE/46"/31.5"/25"
XLARGE/50"/32.5"/26"
How we make Custom Outerwear.
Beloved Patrons,
We grew up snowboarding in New York and Vermont, our first fashion interests as young teens were the innovative fashion of snowboarders, the year was 1988. We were twelve. Our Designs are informed by our long history in snowboarding.Now as career designers and owners at owner operator, we make outerwear, and in two ways unique to the market.
1. The first way is by collaborating with our neighboring factory, we stock a variety of sizes and colors on our website, the kind of stuff we know lots of you love.
2. The second is by crafting custom tailored outerwear, You bring us your ideas, we work with you on making them to your exact specifications.
This process starts by working with you in developing a custom design from our fits and house styles
The fabrics are then cut using the custom patterns for the agreed upon design. The fabrics we use are a Nylon based waterproof breathables and well suited for abrasive and snowy activities
Finally the garment is sewn using a variety of self and industry taught techniques. Our customers demand that we build them durable and long lasting outerwear. A great deal of time has been spent at our HQs and beyond developing and testing our designs in all types of conditions. Our craftsmanship mixed with our material know-how is what sets us apart from the rest.
FInally, when the sewing is completed, the custom garment is photographed for the archive, checked for quality control and packaged up to be mailed any variety of ways, also pick up is available.
Our custom line isn't for everyone, but if this sounds like something that would get you excited send us an email or a DM at Instagram, and we can start talking about your perfect custom garment.
Additionally, on our website, www.owneroperator.com, you can find the custom jacket and part offerings, and a variety of options you can build into your outerwear offer. See you on the slopes!
Psyched for Winter,
Peter and Steven
OO Friends With Benefits Card
We’re proud happy to introduce a gimmicky new angle to sell you more of our stuff. Our new loyalty program pays you a 7% dividend on every purchase you make from us. Spend $100 of your hard-earned greenbacks, you get a $7 credit to spend here in our company store.
So, everything is basically on sale for 7% off! Only, you know, you can only spend your “savings” on more stuff from us.
Wondering how to sign up for the program? Here’s the catch. You’re all ready in. There’s another catch; if you’ve bought anything from us over the last two seasons, we’ll retroactively include that in your balance.
I spent an afternoon researching loyalty program plugins for the site, and decided it was more trouble than it’s worth. We count our customers in the hundreds, not the thousands. Just holler at the contact link below, or email me sk@owneroperator.us, I’ll look you up and send you a checkout code that you can use to claim your credit.
Here’s another thing you can do. Donate your 7% credit to Skateistan. If you have an awkward $11 credit with us, just tell us to donate it. Skateistan is an incredible organization that empowers kids through skateboarding and education. We started donating 1% of our sales a couple of years ago and it always feels great.
We made this entire program up this morning, so if you find some kind of leaky hole in our ship, we reserve the right to keep it from sinking us.
‘93 Parka & Pant in Stock Now
We’re very happy to announce we have full size and color runs of our new ‘93 Parka and ‘93 Pant IN STOCK now.
We’ve been sewing each and every garment ourselves in house for the last three or four years. Making every garment ourselves is extremely gratifying, and as you can imagine, a massive amount of work. As you can also imagine, we can only sew so many pieces a season, and have always left more people stuck out in the cold than we’d ever be able to serve.
Starting with a sloppy sketch, we iron out the details as we develop a working pattern and samples. Those samples go to our friends for testing.
This Fall, we’re working closely with a local factory to do some small production runs, so you can finally get your hands on a real-deal, made in NYC Owner Operator kit. Their spot is a 10 minute drive, plus 25 minutes looking for a non-existent parking away from our studio, so we’re able to be in there every day to help with production.
Giant fabric saws cut stacks. We work right in the factory during production to help out with tricky details and keep the process moving along smoothly.
The goal is, though our patterns, samples, and guidance, to teach our factory partners how to make it all the way we make it ourselves.
Now, not only do you avoid having to wait six weeks for your new favorite jacket, but the two of us are able to focus our time on sewing custom pieces, and developing new gear. Have no fear, our aging and increasingly arthritic bodies are still shacked to our sewing machines pretty much every day of the week.
thanks for your support,
Pete & Steven
1% for the Deli
We pledge 1% of the sale of this jacket to the Deli over on Lorimer. While it is true that there are less expensive ways to procure coffee, beer, and cookies we believe in supporting our neighbors.
Accepting the elevated pricing offers additional benefits. We are encouraged to lower our overall consumption, ultimately reducing many of the negative externalities generated by the coffee, beer, and cookie industries. Other immediate benefits include a lowered incidence of jitters, hangovers, and weight gain.
We’re also going to give 1% to Skateistan, an international non-profit that empowers children through skateboarding and education. We feel pretty confident that we’re a powerful enough organization that we can help some kids with skateboards, and also pretty sure 1% of our sales ain’t going to shop ourselves into saving the environment.
‘93’s are in production as we speak. We expect to ship in about ten days or so. Pre-booked orders get something extra in your box, so book your order now if you haven’t yet.
The $12.27 Zipper (‘93 Production Update)
Here’s a useful trick- if you’re looking at a garment with a zipper, check the mark on it. If it’s YKK or maybe Riri or Talon, you’re probably good. If the zip isn’t branded, or has any other name on it, you can be pretty sure the cheapo zipper ain’t the only corner being cut. A good zipper doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t still sewn from cheap poly fabric in a third-world sweatshop, but can be a good and quick quality check if you don’t have the time or inclination to get entirely into the weeds.
Companies cut corners on zippers because they’re expensive. The one we had spec’d for the ‘93 Jacket was around $6. Nice one YKK, heavy-duty enameled steel pull, totally legit. But you know what’s nicer- when you have a two way zip. More options and more comfort. You don’t see them everywhere because they basically double the price of the zip. If you took the cost of our ‘93 Jacket center-front zipper through a standard garment markup you’re tacking $36.81 onto the retail price of the garment. We’re generally, mostly, pretty much entirely committed to direct-to customer sales right now, so that puts us at $24.54 of zipper on the jacket price.
What we’re telling you, with our overly-expensive zippers, is that we don’t cut corners. We use the best materials, sewn right here in NYC, to make you the best garments in the (known/observable) universe.
Pre-booking some of our production means that even when we run into the inevitable hiccups and unexpected price bumps along the way, we have a little financial wiggle room that comes from that pre-book dough. In the end, it’s the easiest and simplest way for us to continue to give you more.
Pre-books are still open for our ‘93 Jacket and ‘93 Pant, (both now available in size small by popular demand!)
Styles/colors/sizes are moving fast, book now to guarantee availability this season.
Ship date is a month away.
thank you,
owner/operators,
Pete & Steven
YKK Vislon Zipper. Made in USA by geniuses from Japan.
Some of the other lovely YKK’s we employ.
‘93 Jacket & Pant Pre-Books Open
Ian, enthroned in Xanadu
Pete, sample sewing in Brooklyn.
We’re happy to offer a pre-booking opportunity this season for our brand new ‘93 Jacket and ‘93 Pant. To the many who have literally been waiting years to get your hands on a new OO kit, this is your chance.
Production volume is extremely limited, and expected to sell through quickly.
Cut and sewn in Brooklyn, New York.
thank you for your support,
Pete & Steven
TJ full circle in VT.
Pre-Book F.A.Q.
Fall 2022 ‘93 Jacket and Pant Pre-Book
‘93 Jacket Sew-by Sample.
F.A.Q.
Q.What can I order?
A.At this time, we’re offering our ‘93 Jacket, and ‘93 Pant for prebook.
Q.What else are you making this season?
A.Lots of other stuff.
Q. Why pre-book?
A.The number one complaint about Owner Operator is that everything is always sold out. We are a small company, and the only way we can guarantee that we’re going to be able to get you what you want is to book a pre-order. Additionally, if we get your hard-earned cash up front, we can use it to finance production. Better deal for everybody, plus we’re not paying predatory loan rates to keep this machine running.
Q.Where are these garments being produced?
A.Proudly cut and sewn in NYC.
Q.When are these garments shipping?
A.The day after they’re done. Autumn. We’ll keep you updated regularly on progress.
Q.International shipping available?
A. Yes, but please contact us with your exact order and shipping address so we can confirm shipping cost.
Q. Will the items be exactly as shown in the pre-order?
A. No, they will be a little bit better. Every time we gear up for a full production run, small changes are made to make our garments tougher, and more functional.
Q. Can I just buy them when they’re done?
A.Yes, of course- unless the ones you wanted are sold out. It happens. Every drop.
Q. What if I don’t like the garment I receive?
A. You’ll have the standard 30 days (though faster sure would be nice) to return in unworn condition, with tags, etc. like any other order for a refund or exchange.
Q.What about special orders?
A. Details on special orders coming soon.