A century ago, an epic boxing match took place between Jack Johnson and the “Great White Hope” Jim Jeffries. Johnson successfully defended his title against Jeffries, but was persecuted by the FBI, and convicted two years later under the Mann Act of a romance with a white woman. Now a movement aims to have Johnson pardoned by President Obama.

Want to show support? A portion of these limited edition t-shirts will be donated to PBS, whose documentary focuses on the life and achievements of Johnson.

Good looking shirt and a piece of history? That’s a win-win. Of course, I was a history major, so I may be a little biased. [via Cool Hunting]

On Saturday, Caroline, Miles and I are participating in the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s 25th Annual Hunger Walk. It’s the first we’ve done, but we’re pretty excited about it. It’s such an easy way to help the Food Depository’s mission, and costs us nothing but time.

We’ll be taking some photos, so I’ll be able to follow up with another more detailed post. But it’s not too late to be a part of it yourself. Hope to see you there.

TOMS is one of those businesses that everyone loves. And if you don’t, you’re not paying attention.

Not only do they have an incredible mission, but their shoes look pretty damn cool — a big reason why I’ve covered them previously here. Now they’ve teamed up with one of my favorite nonprofits, charity:water, to offer the Water Project Shoe.

(PS, How a company that already gives away shoes for every shoe it sells can afford to go a step further like this is beyond me. Nevertheless, it’s awesome.)

The shoe comes in two styles: the Water Shoe (women only) and the Map Shoe (pictured above, for both sexes.) The shoes come in at a very affordable $58, and you’ll be simultaneously helping build a clean water well in Africa and donating a pair of shoes to a child in need.

The verdict? Do it.

As requested, here are my ‘Wants’ for this Christmas season. These are all items that have caught my eye in recent months that I have not previously mentioned here.

Let’s start with the new line of shirts at Hamilton, America’s oldest family-owned shirt maker. Hamilton’s been making high quality custom made shirts in Houston for over a century, and this year they introduced the 1883 line of ready-to-wear shirts. The one you see above is the Oxford, which would be my choice.

Moving down my wishlist, my next item would be these Slim Taper Jeans from Portland-based Nau. I had a chance to chat with some of the guys from Nau on a recent trip to their New York pop up, Here/Nau/NYC.

They’re one of the most socially savvy clothing companies I’ve ever heard about. Not only do they consider issues of sustainability on the front end making their clothes, but they donate 2% of each sale to one of their Partners for Change.

Now that’s just a happy Christmas all around.

Accentuating my work wardrobe would be a tie from Motto & Crest. Inspired by classic British club and college uniforms, ties like this Hintock tie are the perfect addition to any Winter outfit.

For my feet, I’m going to have to go with this bucks collaboration between Mark McNairy and Inventory. I like my shoes to be ballsy, and it’s hard to be ballsier than a red brick sole combined with navy blue suede. Love it.

Considering I’ve traversed the US and suggested two items from the UK, it’s only natural that I take you shopping in Canada, right? This Leather Macbook Sleeve from Palmer & Sons out of Vancouver is worth it.

Anyone who knows me knows I’m an Apple fan through and through, and if I’m paying premium price for my laptop, why wouldn’t I want to carry it around it something that makes it look nice?

Your special lady will thank you for the last item on my list. This bodywash by Molton Brown is steeped in Madagascan black peppercorn oil. That’s not a scent you smell everyday, but that’s a good thing.

Bodywash not your thing? Try their bodyscrub bar.

So there you have it. These are the things I’m looking for this holiday season. What’s on your list?

Not sure how I missed writing about this before November began, but better late than never.

Movember is an annual fundraising campaign started by two Aussies that encourages men to grow mustaches (or Mo’s – the Aussie slang for mustache) to raise funds and awareness of men’s health issues – specifically prostate and testicular cancer. A man who wishes to be a “Mo Bro” starts off the beginning of the month clean shaven, and grows a mustache all month. Along the way he raises funds for cancer research and is a walking billboard for the cause.

What’s great about the guys behind Movember is the scope of their ambition: Movember is seeking to make the mustache what the pink ribbon is to breast cancer research. Good luck, fellas.

It’s too late to get started growing the ’stache this year, but why not find someone to support who’s got his Mo’ in full swing already?

What have your undergarments done lately? Planted a seed for literacy? Protected the world’s rainforests? Protected the oceans? If you’ve answered ‘no’ to any of these questions, you may want to consider PACT Organic Underwear for a change… down there.

With the motto “Change starts with your underwear”, PACT allows you to begin that change by picking from three different fits — trunk, boxer or boxer-brief. You can also choose which pattern you enjoy or which cause most suits you. Either way, it’s about time your underwear supported more than just you.

Ladies, don’t fret: PACT has options for you as well.

An environmentally friendly take on the classic Wayfarer style of frames, Canby, the debut line of Portland-based Shwood, are a hipster’s dream. Made from the natural surrounding hardwood from the Portland area, the line comes in zebrawood, maple, or wenge like the ones above.

For those more fashion-conscious, don’t worry. These babies have a little something for you too: Carl Zeiss lenses imported from Italy.

If their line of pants is any measurement, these polos should be excellent fitting. It begs the question: what is next on Bonobos’ ambitious agenda?

By the way, did you know that not only does Bonobos make great products, they have a Band of Brothers program that gives discounts to men who have chosen service-oriented professions such as teaching? That is my kind of company.

(Remember: if you’re a new customer, you can get a 15% discount with the promo code ‘theexceptionalman’. You’re welcome.)

I’m a big fan of companies who are not only making great products, but they’re doing good. And not just on the side – doing good is part of who they are. TOMS Shoes is one such company.

For every pair of shoes purchased, TOMS donates a pair of shoes to a child in need. And with the new line of Cordones (read: with laces), they may be the perfect pair of casual shoes for the Fall.

A way to look good while doing good? Yes, please.

Cheeky little men’s pants maker Bonobos keeps getting better. They already have a reputation for being the tailored to perfection, holy grail of pants. After recently adding swim wear, now they’ve decided to give you a choice of straight leg or boot cut. Good call, guys.

Bonus: Enter the code ‘theexceptionalman’ at checkout and get %15 off your first order. I think you should.