Building the business

Oak Clothing Co. gets comfortable in new storefront

Oak Clothing Co. a popular local retail store, started above the Wellington Home Hardware, crammed into an old storage closet. Adelaide Utman, the creator and owner, had an apartment across the hall. The original space was used as a storage closet for close to seventy-five years before the Nashes cleared it out and renovated it to become a store.

Adelaide was born in Perth, Ontario. She grew up spending summers in Mallorytown and winters in Nunavut, getting full extremes of the Canadian season experience. She romanticized about rural Ontario from her upbringing. She had come to Wellington once, in her early twenties with her family on a summer trip. She remembers feeling a strong connection to it—lying on the beaches, she couldn’t believe she was in Ontario. At that time, there were no cars on the street after 6 p.m. and kids would practice skateboarding and play on Main Street in front of Foodland. To her, Wellington felt like living in the past, like her romanticized childhood summers.

When Adelaide came back to Wellington later on in life, she saw that it was an up and coming region. A rare mix of rural Ontario with white sand beaches and a connection to art, music and food. This ticked a lot of the boxes for what she was looking for next.

“I like being near the beach and the water. This place had all the things I love in life,” she explains.

Adelaide Utman, owner of Oak Clothing Co., stands in the new storefront at 264 Main Street, Wellington.

Adelaide had spent time travelling, and living in beach towns like Tofino on Vancouver Island. She experienced many small towns as they grew in popularity for visitors. She could see what would be in store for the County. She knew that whatever she wanted to create here could happen, if she put the work, time and passion into it. Adelaide had a history in many facets of fashion. She was a clothing buyer while living in BC and had experience with fashion photographers and stylists while living in New York City.

The idea of opening Oak Clothing Co. was sparked by realizing she still had to travel far to fill her fashion needs, often going back to Toronto just to shop. She realized that if she couldn’t find somewhere to shop for herself, that others would be in the same position. She decided to create what she was looking for. “If you’re not finding what you need for yourself, then you set up an environment that creates it,” she says.

The timing was perfect, the town was getting more popular, the brands she wanted were available, and so was a tiny space across the hall. The store was well received and soon she needed to expand. This time she turned part of her own apartment into her store. Adelaide ran Oak above the Home Hardware for four years.

She cherishes the years above Home Hardware. “It was a truly unique experience and cultivated relationships that still last today,” says Adelaide. “It was an intimate space and created an intimate experience for the shopper.”

An experience that still continues on today. The original customers have remained loyal and have visited each iteration of the store in all the locations. Adelaide felt like she had cheerleaders motivating her the whole way.

The shop moved from above the hardware store to 303 Main Street. Operating there for the past three years, until it too was bursting at the seams, another expansion was needed. Oak Clothing Co. has now moved their retail section into the prominent building of 264 Main Street. The espresso bar and surf club will stay at 303 Main street until the fall when they will merge again under one roof at 264 Main Street.

Oak has enjoyed its time at 303 Main. It was the first ground floor store and where the espresso window and surf club was introduced for the first time.

Adelaide got into surfing while travelling, and she pursued it relentlessly. “Once a surfer, always a surfer,” she says. This was also where Tyler Beatson, her partner in life and in business, joined as co-owner. Ty is still in serious pursuit of the sport. He also has a similar background to Adelaide. Growing up in Banff working in boardsport shops, eventually led to working with boardsport brands. They both shared a passion for surfing and fashion, and decided to combine their passions into one store. “Surfing is just fun and everyone should do it,” Adelaide says.

Adelaide and Oak are very excited to be at 264 Main Street. “It is a beautiful building and you can feel the history of it in the floorboards and beams,” she exclaims. Adelaide and Tyler have been busy at home, raising a family, renovating a house, and building another business, Oak Wholesale. With their offices being upstairs they are at 264 Main more consistently now.

Both had unique experiences growing up and with the shops they worked at in their youth, and want to pass on the same experience. They want to offer an environment where everyone is included and looking out for each other. They have found that a good atmosphere for employees creates a good atmosphere for customers. Surf shops have a history of feeling too cool, and Oak wants to break away from that stereotype to a more open and fun setting.

The Oak experience is slightly different now in a two-storey store instead of a storage closet. It is more spread out, But customers still experience the same level of attention and interest with all the staff as before. “Coming into Oak is not just going shopping, it is an experience,” says Adelaide.

Staff has grown to over five employees and is like a family. It has a real team vibe. Staff have come and gone over the years, but are never forgotten and often visit. “It’s not just about clocking in and clocking out,” Adelaide explains. “Employees here feel they are a part of something”.

Working at Oak gives staff a lifetime memory and sometimes even a guiding hand to where they head next. It has a history of attracting misfits and giving them a space to be themselves. It is an interesting group that is interested and invested in what they do.

“When you work for a family-run business, you ultimately become part of that family for that time. So we try to make it feel like you are a part of it. You’re not just a cog in a wheel, you help build the business,” says Adelaide.