We are grateful for people’s interest in our company and wanted to provide a few answers to our most frequently asked questions.

Why was green 3 started?

Sandy Martin is the founder and president of green 3. Sandy grew up in the rural Midwest, dreaming of brighter lights and bigger cities. After graduating from high school, Sandy left small town life behind and began an education and career that would take her to Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Her expertise in product development was eclipsed only by her love of family. Still shy of the age of 40, and at the height of her corporate career, Sandy decided to “retire” and dedicate herself to being the best mom she could be. In between soccer games, parent-teacher conferences, and volunteer work, Sandy kept one eye on the ever-changing feminine apparel marketplace. Personally frustrated by designers who lacked imagination, retailers who didn’t understand fit, and manufacturers who valued a nickel more than the environment and communities they operated in, Sandy decided to re-enter the game with a women’s company of her own in 2006.

What is the Oshkosh B’ Gosh connection?  

Sandy’s husband, Jim Martin, worked for Oshkosh B’ Gosh for many years as EVP of Design, Merchandising and Product Development.  When B’Gosh was sold in 2005 there were many displaced employees looking for new employment.  Jim joined his wife at green 3 and together they were able to hire many former Oshkosh B’gosh employees, several of whom Jim knew personally.  They are fortunate to have their business in an area that is rich in talent and people familiar with the industry.

How many green 3 employees were former Oshkosh B’gosh employees? 

8 in art, technical design, sewing and distribution.

What is organic cotton? 

In the simplest of terms, organic cotton means that the crop is raised without the use of pesticides or harmful chemicals.

What is recycled cotton? 

There are really two categories of recycled cotton; there is post-consumer and pre-consumer. What we use at green 3 is pre-consumer recycled cotton. The difference between the two, is that post-consumer means it’s something that an individual actually owned, got rid of, and then the item was turned into something else. Pre-consumer, which is what we use here, is actually waste and scrap that comes from factories that are making other apparel items or furniture upholstery. The excess fabric is cut off and the scraps would normally be thrown away.  Instead, we come in and take those scraps and actually use it to create new yarn.  That yarn is what we use to knit our recycled cotton items.

What are water based inks? 

We use water-based inks, as opposed to traditional plastisol screen printing – plastisol is the rubbery underlay that you find in most conventional screen print applications. Plastisol is a petroleum-based product. Everything that we use is a water-based product. The advantages, beyond the environmental benefits, are that the hand is incredibly soft, completely breathable, the screen print will not crack or peel, and can’t fade.

What does re-engineered mean?  

The re-engineered product category is exactly what it sounds like;  it’s taking items that are currently one thing and turning them into something else.  In the green 3 re-engineered items, we’re using reclaimed items, cutting them up into various shapes, and then re-sewing them into brand new and different items. Many of these items do come from thrift stores but we thoroughly wash all items before transforming them into new product.

How do I request a wholesale catalog?  

There is a short approval process to receive our wholesale catalog and you can start that process here.

What trade shows do you attend?

We travel to trade shows in the spring and fall each year and that generally includes the following locations;  Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas and New York.

When did your company store open?  

Our company store opened in August of 2011 when we moved our facility to a larger building.  We had a layout that provided extra space for a storefront and we obviously had the inventory to fill it.  This is our only store location.

Have a question?  Email us at info@green3apparel.com