Category Archives: USA Made

National Cherry Blossom Festival

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The National Cherry Blossom Festival will begin in just 10 days and it marks not only spring but a beautiful floral explosion in DC.  This year we get to be a part of the festival.  During one of our trade show stops in NYC last summer, we were asked if we would create a cherry blossom scarf for the festival, which of course we did.  The positive response to the scarf has been overwhelming.  It has been featured on Fox 5 DC and in the Washington Times.  To get one of your own, visit the National Cherry Blossom Festivals online gift shop.  If you’d like to learn more and see our scarf on the Fox 5 DC news broadcast click here.

 

Every Garment Tells a Story – Handwarmers

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Our handwarmers have a nice little story that begins with a knitting factory in upstate New York.  The facility we use for our American-made knit goods is a fourth generation company that is one of the few facilities of its kind left in the country. They have a lot of old machinery and still do things the way they did 50 years ago.

They knit all of the cloth and then send it here to us in Oshkosh.  We then send it to a large laundering facility nearby to get all of the shrinkage out of the cloth.  The hand warmers actually come in one large knit piece, like a blanket,  and then our staff pulls out the threads that divide each row.

After the rows are divided they go to our sewing facility where they cut them into the width of the handwarmers and do all of the sewing. When the process is complete, we clean them up by looking for loose threads and then they are ready to package and ship.

1 Sweater, 3 Ways

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If leaves are hitting the ground, I am the first to pull out my sweaters and knee-high boots. and this season is no exception.  Today I thought it would be fun to show you a few  different ways to wear our Harvest Cardigan.  With it’s aztec pattern and soft blue hue it is the perfect addition to any sweater collection.

Our first outfit I’d imagine wearing, while drinking a cup of coffee and sitting in front of a fireplace, barefoot! The ankle art pant is made of the same knit weight as the sweater, which makes them a perfectly cozy match. All of the items from this outfit are available on our website, the sleeve scarf, and our button tree shirt.

Our second outfit is what I’d wear to run errands or to meet a friend for lunch.  A casual day outfit.  We paired our cardigan with a basic ruffle t-shirt, jeans and dark brown boots. Oh, and we added our suit tote bag to complete the look.

Our final look would be the ideal outfit for a night out, a concert perhaps.  Styled with a white dress from here, a thick brown belt and knee-high boots to match, this outfit is a classic silhouette with a splash of green 3 fashion!

Which one is your favorite look?  What other ways would you style our sweater?

Made In USA Challenge

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One of our favorite blogs for all things made in America is the Made in USA Challenge site.  This blog is dedicated to letting people know what products are available and where you can get them.  Recently, the Made in USA Challenge made an exciting board on Pinterest.  A board that lets people pin their American made finds to one place.  We’ve added a few of our items to this board and are thrilled to see the wide range of products that have been pinned to it.  It is so refreshing to see so many other people and companies dedicated to supporting American made products and that all of these products can now be easily found in one place.  You can check out the full board here.  Oh, and be sure to follow us on Pinterest if you haven’t yet;-)

An Election Year

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Yes, it is an election year and we are seeing the donkey and elephant everywhere.  How about showing off your patriotism by hanging it around your neck, yes, you did heard me right.  With one of our Democrat or Republican scarves.

Not only will it keep you warm this fall it will let everyone know what side your on and it would even make a great gift for that passionate American in your life!  I think it’s important for us to mention that these are made in the US in upstate New York.

Speaking of New York this was a hot item at the New York International Gift Fair last week. In fact, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum  scooped up a whole bunch for their gift shop.  I’m sure you can guess which scarf they purchased.

PS:  We have mittens to match! Republican and Democrat

Back to School

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Kids arcross the country are gearing up for back to school and “our kids” are heading back too.  The hard working group below, spent their summer with us at green 3.  We are thrilled that many of them will continue working with us throughout the school year and others plan on returning during their college breaks.

From left to right are Hannah (Oshkosh West), Victoria (UW Eau Claire), Daphne (Oshkosh West), Sarah (UW Oshkosh), and Karch (UW Oshkosh).

All of the ladies pictured, helped out in our processing department by packaging, labeling, and tagging items. Hannah, Victoria, and Sarah also helped out in our sewing department by cutting materials that were to be sewn.  Daphne, helped out on the technical side of things, with our website and our blog.  Victoria, an art student at Eau Claire has had the role of creating this and this in the past, for us.  Karch, is our token warehouse guy, helping with large orders and shipments.  As college and high school students, we asked the girls what their top three, green 3 items would be for back to school and here is what they told us they’ll be wearing this fall:

zipper handwarmers

fox hat

fox shirt

We love having these “kids” around and wish them good luck and good study habits for the new school year.

FAQ

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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

 

 

 

green 3′s Art Director

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Today we have an employee interview you won’t want to pass on reading!   We want to introduce you to Jane, our Art Director.  Since the birth of the company in 2006, every item that has a graphic on it, Jane has designed and more often has even hand drawn it.

How did you get the job at green 3?

I was working with Jim on a freelance job for Oshkosh B’Gosh and he asked if I would meet with his wife, Sandy to help design a logo for her new business venture.  That was in August 2005, so it’s been 7 years already!

What is your favorite item (past or present) from the green 3 line?

From a graphics point of view, I really liked how both the butterfly kite tee and the peacock v-neck tee came out.

Favorite G3 moment;

Shooting the catalogs are always SO much fun!

What do you do for fun or what is something you are passionate about?

Hanging out with my family.  Our family runs in many different directions during the weekdays but we all make an effort to go to church on Sunday and spend the rest of the day as a family unit.

Something interesting about you or your family;

People don’t always realize that I’m half Asian and half Polish.  My mom is from Korea and because of that I wasn’t raised in the typical fashion of my peers.  I always felt that because of all the wonderful things my mom taught us that I should have been born in a past generation. 

A “green” aspect of your life that you are proud to say you do?

I don’t like to throw things away and try my best to repurpose it.  I use milk jugs as paint buckets and have repurposed several old dressers, turning one into a new entertainment center.

If someone asked for your advice about pursuing a career in graphic design what would you tell them?

Plan to go to college and get a formal education.  Even if your portfolio is strong you probably won’t get your foot in the door without it.  Send your portfolio with your resume and don’t forget that your resume is representative of your graphic design background it shouldn’t just be a plain white piece of paper.  Design your resume so it will stand out among the others.

Green3’s take on Jane:  I have been around a lot of artists throughout my corporate career, and Jane possesses a skill that is incredibly valuable to any brand.  She thinks in terms of the ultimate consumer and what they will like, as opposed to just what she likes.  Jane is able to move outside of her personal likes or dislikes, and passionately focus on making every piece of art be what’s best for the brand and the consumer we target.

NY International Gift Fair

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Today Jim Martin is here to give you some insight on the biggest gift fair in the country;

I think the New York Gift Fair is the only remaining international gift show. In our last show there, in January 2012, we opened new accounts with customers in Ireland; we opened new account with customers in Japan. I just think that the attendance, the quality of the retailers, and the quality of the exhibitors is the best of all the shows.

It starts August 19th, and what’s different about it this year is that they’ve cut it down to four days – it used to be a five-day show. Which is great for everybody – the exhibitors, the attendees – but I think it’s going to make those days really action-packed. I think it’s going to be great; it’s going to be exciting.

Roughly, how many exhibitors are there for the show each year?

It’s only temporary exhibitors, whereas the Atlanta Gift Show is a combination of permanent showrooms and temporary exhibitors. I don’t know the exact number, but I would guess it’s close to four or five thousand temporary exhibitors.  One of the better parts of the New York Gift Fair is they have international exhibitors as well, and they set up different sections for specific countries. It’s fun for the other exhibitors to go and take a look at what’s going on in other parts of the world.

How are exhibitors set up?

The New York Gift Fair is primarily at the Javits Center out on the west side, but the show is sold out from an exhibitor standpoint so they have overflow out on the piers of the West River. They have buses that run back and forth from the Javits Center out to the piers, and new companies have to put their time in. You might be out at the piers exhibiting for a few years, and then as spots open up in the Javits Center, you can get moved in. We’re fortunate to be in the Javits right now. Our booth is 8639.

What is the Javits Center like at the show?

Beyond all of the glamorous parts of it, it’s also probably the least glamorous show in terms of aesthetics. The Javits Center is this giant monolithic concrete building. The show is kind of dark and cavernous as opposed to the Atlanta Gift Show which is all big open modern buildings. But it’s cool, because it’s very New York – it’s very compressed, stuffed full of people and exhibitors. It feels a lot like the city itself. There is this great energy that’s there because it’s so compressed, which is exciting.

 What is transportation typically like at the show?

The show has bus lines that run all over the city and will pick you up from anywhere because again, just like the rest of New York, there’s no parking. Traffic is just nonstop, so there’s buses that run continually throughout the city picking people up and dropping people off.  It almost doesn’t matter where you stay; it’s easy to get to the show and get back from the show. Classic New York – I’ll catch the first bus over to the show usually around 7 in the morning and it takes ten minutes to get to there. At night when the show ends at 6, the buses are running during rush hour, so the same trip takes an hour and twenty minutes to get back. And you’re only going less than two miles! Every time we’ve been there it’s either been incredibly hot or horrifically cold, so the buses are kind of nice. But you definitely experience the New York traffic.

Where do you typically stay during the gift fair?

We stay over near Bryant Park. I’ve been going to New York for probably 25 years and just the way the city has transitioned – Bryant Park, when I first started going, it was a classic shooting gallery. It was just infested with drug dealers and you would walk by and there would be people standing all around the perimeter of the park selling drugs. They would be saying it under their breath, reciting the menu of things they were selling. And inside the park – you didn’t go inside the park. Now 20 years later, it’s this amazingly beautiful park. They have movies in the park at night for families, there’s a carousel and it’s just fantastic. They’ve really revived the area.

What is your favorite thing to do while you’re in the city?

One of our favorite things to do is to just go down into the Village and walk. If you’ve never been to New York, that’s absolutely something you should do. Before I went to New York, I just assumed that these things were very far apart, but because everything’s so compressed they’re all right on top of each other. Little Italy is just a couple square blocks, and then you cross the street and you’re in Chinatown and  that’s a couple more blocks from the East Village. People who haven’t gone before are almost afraid to go because they don’t know where to stay and they don’t know what to do. I think it’s one of the easiest cities to get around in. It’s small and compact and laid out in a grid form, and as long as you go where you should go I think you’re completely safe. It’s just not a city to go where you shouldn’t go, but it’s not too hard to figure out.  I just love to get out and walk. 

We will be out at the show on August 19th and as always if you are in the area we would love to see you!