Greater Milwaukee Men

I almost don't even know how to begin in this one since it hits home on so many levels, but I'll try since its too awesome to pass up. By now you know its Movember , if not catch up , and you should also know a goal of GMM is to promote socially conscious products specifically for men and have covered TOMS before . But this month TOMS has outdone themselves by not only doing their One for One  model but also donating money for every Movember product  sold to the cause. That means for every pair of Movember shoes bought TOMS is donating twice  - one pair of shoes to a needy child and money to Movember.

Don't be this person. If you can't afford to buy something, your time is valuable. Father's Day (I always think it should be Fathers' day - isn't it the day for all fathers, not just one?) is coming up on June 16th, and since we are all adults here I don't think I need to get into the whole 'what not to buy' spiel. Instead I will get right onto what to  buy for the paternal figures in our lives. There are two parts of shopping the Man-Way, the Well-Met Way: the man part and the well part. The goal is to find things that a man will like but also have the socially-responsible or conscious aspect to it. That can come from things that help a cause, those that are locally produced ( American-made  or even more locally like right here in Wisconsin or Milwaukee), or things that reduce impact on or even help the environment. I have been keeping my eye out on various sources and listed here are my selections of things to buy or places to shop.

Master & Commander , makers of the aptly named Samaritan Jacket, is a new company that is participating in the growing Buy One Give One business and charity model. In this model a business commits to donating one of something for every one of a product that is sold. TOMS shoes may be the most familiar one to most where for every shoe sold they donate a shoe to - they also do glasses for sunglasses - but there are others and as we are aware we will keep an updated list on the Good & Services page. One such company I just discovered is Master & Commander. Founded in 2012 by Gustavo Sainz, their goal is to donate a garment for every one  purchased. Right now they just have one product - the Samaritan Jacket. It is a military style outdoor activity jacket inspired by the Special Operations Forces Protective Clothing Unit Level 5 jacket (PCU L5) - a staple for elite forces from Navy SEALS to Green Berets.

Even Damon doesn't look good in a holiday sweater Women like to say it's hard to shop for men, but men shopping for men don't have that problem. So women can use some help with tips on what to get men. It can be even harder if you are socially conscious and want to get him gifts that align with your beliefs. We previously told men how to shop for the holidays , a more of where than what to buy, but here are some gifts for men  that also have some side benefits whether environmental, charitable, or otherwise. These are a few examples, you can use them as a kickstarter to other ideas and check back for more ideas as we see or think of them. Pro-tip - clothes in general are way too much about personal taste to buy as a gift, even if you think you really know them.

In just over a week, the day after Thanksgiving will kick off the 'official' start to holiday gift shopping. Dubbed 'Black Friday' either because it is usually the day most business budgets move from the red into the black, or the meaning that most men would subscribe to of its negative impact on getting around the city that day. To us men it is a black, as in sad, day if we are forced to participate in the chaos of a large portion of the US off of work and out at every mall and store filling them to the bursting with lines of insane shoppers looking for that special deal or wanting to get that special gift before it sells out. But there are better ways to shop, Well-Met ways that address the needs of men as well as those of others. Small Business Saturday & Local Stores If you wait just one day to shop, you can have a much better experience. The Saturday after Thanksgiving and day after Black Friday, a new tradition has started,  Small Business Saturday  ® – ...

TOMS shoes  was one of the pioneers of a business model that is truly inspiring. In a twist on the term BOGO, their version means 'Buy One  Give  One', meaning that for every pair of shoes bought, they give a pair to a child in need. Now personally, the men's shoe styles themselves are a little hard to swallow - they all look like variations of ballet shoes for some reason, maybe they look better on -  with only a few that I would even think of wearing. But the idea is amazing, and now that have expanded the program. They now sell  sunglasses  and for each pair bought they give  a pair of eyewear to the needy. They are classic styles much better looking and wearable than the shoes.