CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Andrew McClung celebrates his new look, made complete with a blue shirt by Capsule, Levi 505s, shades from Ocean Pacific, and a Marc Ecko watch, all courtesy of Macy's.

Newly made man

Our ‘Love Doc’ remade
Andrew McClung’s look
and his attitude about
the dating world

DEAR Love Doc, my friend is chivalrous and polite. ... Dear Star-Bulletin Love Doc, please refine this shy, humble, extraordinary brother of mine. ..."

The pleas were earnest and sincere when we asked readers to enter our "Love Doc" contest. We were seeking men who needed makeovers a la "Hitch," the movie starring Will Smith as a date doctor who grooms men for success with women. So strong was the premise that the film earned $7.5 million on Valentine's Day.

We wanted an average Joe ready for a change, and though our overtures were rebuffed by some who needed the most work, we couldn't resist the letter written by Erin Baumgartner, a friend of our winner, Andrew McClung, who was somewhat bewildered by all the attention suddenly lavished upon him.

Baumgartner's letter read, in part: "He's kind of a prince, or maybe a prince's cousin, who currently appears not as a frog, but certainly as a pauper. He's kind, well-meaning, thoughtful, a good listener and has a great sense of humor. He's neat and dresses up good, he can cook and he can be very generous. He's also got this kind of noble career plan trying to save endangered species, or at least help protect them anyway. ..."

It's difficult for him to date, Baumgartner continued, because women tend to see him as a good friend, nothing more. "If he could find a way to get himself in front of a more suitable audience, and could get a little more jazzed up and market himself better ... it could make two people really happy (along with his friends, who are frustrated with seeing him go to waste relationship-wise)."

Then there was the matter of THE CAR. He had none, which in Hawaii spells death for dating.

"I'll do anything to help this guy out," said our designated local "Hitch," Robbie "Flash" Hansen, 32, promotions and marketing director for Wave Waikiki and a man about town.

LUCY PEMONI / LPEMONI@STARBULLETIN.COM Robbie "Flash" Hansen, McClung's style advisor for the day, helps him select sunglasses from a display at Macy's Kahala Mall.

To hear Baumgartner tell it, McClung suffers from "nice-guy syndrome" and he's not alone. Many of the men pitched for our makeover contest were described as nice guys with a lot to offer. One described his brother as having "the potential to become a local Casanova!"

But change is imminent for McClung, 41, because he will likely earn his Ph.D. in zoology this spring. Having been trapped in graduate school limbo for the last eight years -- a process he didn't expect to take so long -- the makeover comes at a time when he's ready to make the leap into the real world.

"This (makeover) is something to try. It gets me in (another) mind-set ... to get out there," McClung said, mentioning that he started working out again last month. "This whole grooming thing is becoming popular -- look at GQ. But in my field, not so much.

"I had a tuxedo, sports coats, when I first moved out, but ..."

McClung was a marketing executive in California's Silicon Valley before switching career gears, and the change led to dating disaster as Baumgartner said women could not look past McClung's teaching assistant's salary and lack of a reliable car.

"Nobody gets into this field for the money," said McClung, who admits his fashion icon is "Seinfeld's" Kramer.

"I'm relieved to get another guy's perspective," said McClung.

Meanwhile, Hansen took his responsibility seriously.

"A lot of it's about confidence," Hansen theorized. "A lot of it won't show in a before-and-after photo. It's about how to act around a woman, what to do on a date."

He notes that the concept of good grooming for men is more common now than three years ago, but the bottom line is to be secure in who you are. "It's about personal empowerment.

"As for keeping on top of trends, watch movies, see TV, modern shows. Celebrities are a good barometer of style."

LUCY PEMONI / LPEMONI@STARBULLETIN.COM Andrew McClung shows up for his makeover in Hawaiian print shorts that were a gift from his mother.

MCCLUNG PROVES to be a good sport at Kahala Mall, site of our day-long project. Armed with a $400 budget from Macy's, a sky's-the-limit budget from Marsha Nadalin Salon & Spa and Hansen's eye, McClung says he doesn't know what to expect.

"I'm sure there will be a haircut involving some sort of gel," he says, arriving at 9:55 a.m. for his 10 a.m. salon treatment. He wears a black T-shirt and Hawaiian-print shorts -- a gift from his mother that automatically announces to women: "undatable."

"In my field, all this grooming stuff is not really a part of the universe," he says. "I'm in this ghetto of Berkeley refugees. You really stop thinking about what you look like, and I'm not one for the bar scene. ... It's hard to imagine doing this type of grooming on a monthly basis, but I'm thinking of it as an investment in yourself. I don't want to stand on the sidelines.

"I would be glad to go out with someone cute who is attracted (to) and interested in me. I want to know where she is going in her life. Someone who can be a best friend."

"Wow!" says Katie Ringwood, general manager of Marsha Nadalin, and not in a good way. She's looking at his eyebrows.

"Good grief! He's got good structure, but you're not going to notice if a man is not groomed," she says. "A handsome guy who does not take care of himself is a lot less handsome than a guy with thinning hair who does take good care of himself."

Shaping eyebrows opens the area, bringing focus to the eyes.

Esthetician Jessica Machi is quick to assure McClung that eyebrow waxing is becoming more common among men. "I do my husband's brows," she says.

LUCY PEMONI / LPEMONI@STARBULLETIN.COM Andrew McClung is surrounded by makeover artists Rita Bookhart, left, Jamie Kunisaki, Deanne Fee, Flash Hansen and Fox Lach at Marsha Nadalin Salon and Spa at Kahala Mall.

AT 10:20 a.m. Hansen shows up. He's not late because he overslept. No, he was trying to choose the right shoes. He tried on three pairs before settling on the right sneakers. He is, after all, our style expert.

Hanson approves the eyebrow treatment. "I just don't feel groomed if I don't," he says. "It's the same thing as getting a haircut. I've never stopped once I started."

Next, the women lift McClung's shirt to see if he has back hair that must be removed. Lucky for him, this is an unnecessary step, leaving the women somewhat disappointed.

"I knew there was an element of sadomasochism here," says McClung.

The salon staff moves on to the manicure, and afterward, McClung stares at his fresh-scrubbed hands, buffed to perfection.

"Wow," he says, waggling his hands before nail technician Jennifer Fernandez. "Have you ever seen hands that look like this?"

The look men should aim for is basically nice, clean, rounded nails, Fernandez says. And polish? "Well, if a man asked for red nails, I'm not going to say no."

While the nail work is going on, Hansen and hairstylist Fox Lach talk about McClung's hair, which he's cut himself since 1993, partly to avoid spending money and partly because he felt he could cut his hair as well as any salon. Or can he?

Hansen studies the jagged hairline on the back of McClung's neck. "Please tidy this up," he advises.

By afternoon's end, Lach will have given McClung a temporary, semipermanent hair color that will fade within four to six weeks. The idea is that the color and texture will thicken his hair's appearance, an issue for many men.

Meanwhile, McClung and Ringwood debate the merits of the $25 haircut for men.

"Most men neglect a good haircut and instead look for budget," McClung says. "But this is my lunch budget for the week."

As Fox continues fixing up the lopsided home haircut, Hansen heads off to Macy's to find an "elegantly casual" wardrobe for McClung.

"Most people buy clothing with interaction with the opposite sex in mind," he says. "Have confidence in what you wear. You want to get clothing that looks good, but keep the lifestyle in mind."

For McClung, Hansen wants a comfortable look so he won't revert to his baggy, no-fashion style. No suits and ties, and no walking shorts, but slim-cut clothing in fine fabric that is slightly dressy and appropriate for a first date.

If McClung wants an aloha shirt, it will be not be the old-fashioned oversize type, but of a slimmer cut that younger, cooler types are wearing, says Hansen.

He advises: "Pick clothes that give a hint of booty. It's all about the hooking up. It's not about hiding imperfections."

He also recommends classics, such as blue jeans.

"Jeans are a safety net," Flash says. "All jeans are cut differently, even if they're from the same lot. Customize them with scissors. Distress them with a cheese grater. Jeans never go out of style, and right now, fashion's in a 20-year cycle. What was cool in the '80s is cool again. Cords are in. Izods are hot with the hip-hop crowd."

Hansen accessorizes his picks with a watch and sunglasses designed to pull the looks together.

"I never thought I'd be able to pull this off," McClung says. "I thought this could only, well, be worn by a guy named Flash!

"This is what I would have chosen on my own," he says, pointing to a pair of penny loafers, albeit nicely stitched loafers.

"No," says Hansen, before moving to another department.

McClung's old clothes sit forlornly by the register, and Ken Harper, a group sales manager of Macy's, offers a suggestion: "There's a Goodwill nearby."

Straight eye for the straight guy As a favor to nice but dateless guys everywhere, here are some wardrobe tips from Honolulu's "Hitch," Flash Hansen, on how to win a second glance from women: ON DRESSING Shorts: This will be hard for most guys in Hawaii, but wearing shorts at night, on a date, is too casual. Jeans are just as comfortable but make a better impression. Belts: Black ones don't go with brown shoes and vice versa. Wear a belt only if it's going to be seen; otherwise it makes your waist look bigger. Sandals: Do not wear open-toed shoes out at night ... ever! Bad hair day? Wear a hat! Not necessarily a baseball hat, but a fedora or kangol -- something stylish and different. Not all hats are for everyone though. If you don't trust your judgment bring a friend you trust. Don't be afraid to ask: A sales clerk or fashion-savvy friend will answer questions like, "Does that shirt really go with those pants?" Salons give free consultations cut, color and product for your hair. Black: Black pants and a black shirt from two companies may not match at all. You won't notice in club light but you will in normal light. Ditto whites. Details: Clean hands and trim nails are a must. It's a small thing but one that's often overlooked. ON DATING It sounds clichˇd, but stay within yourself: We all have strengths and weaknesses, so just try to play to your strengths. Relax: Everyone gets nervous on dates and it shows. If you are comfortable it will put the other person at ease. Conversation: If you don't really know your date, try to learn some basic information in pre-date conversations. What are their interests in movies, music, etc.? What do they do for a living? But the first date should be all about her, so ask away. Stay away from politics and religion on the first couple of dates. Money: This applies always, but especially when out on a date, TIP! Otherwise you look like a cheapskate. Always pick up the first check. No matter how much feminism they're packing, it's always the classy move. Your car: Wash it inside and out. Or at least throw out all the trash. Have a decent variety of music in the car, but make sure it's all stuff you actually like. Alcohol: A couple cocktails can make the night go smoother. but too many and you will never have a second date.

WITH OUR SUBJECT appropriately dressed, Hansen gets down to business on the topic of confidence over lunch.

"I don't have a real dynamic social life, being a graduate student," McClung says. "It's me and my computer."

Taking all this into consideration, Hansen suggests some cheap, casual yet romantic dates. He also advises McClung to look outside his work/school pool. Think yoga, surfing, charity work, he says. Perhaps find friends of friends. And then new friends of friends ...

"There's got to be a place in between bars and churches," says Hansen, who recommends a low-key, pressure-free approach. Just meet more people.

"If things don't work out with one hot girl," he says, "hot girls have hot friends."

McClung slowly absorbs the information, the painful eyebrow waxing, the newly dark hair forgotten already. But he is doubtful about parting with his old watch, a plastic timepiece with an alarm clock.

"My last dress watch I bought was by Seiko, and that was in 1997," he says.

The late '90s were not good to McClung. He broke up with his last serious girlfriend in 1998. Others have since passed through his life for a month or two. He even tried dating services but ran into compatibility problems.

Hansen emphasizes confidence. "The first step is stepping forward, so that's one thing. The good parts are, you're not shy, you do interesting work, you're verbal. All the ingredients are there. Plus, doing this makeover can help you feel good, not only on the outside, but on the inside."

On a typical Wednesday, McClung's days are spent in his "dungeonlike office," staring at his computer.

"I'm actually thinking about walking the mile from my place to work and showing this off," he says, wearing one of his new outfits out of the store.

Hansen takes him aside and confides: "I don't know what women want. I don't think women know what they want, either. But you got to keep trying."

Here is something they agree on: "The more I know, the more I don't know," Hansen says. "But look for a female with a good sense of humor who is a good listener. Look for someone who wants to have fun."

Hansen hands his business card to McClung, telling him to call any time he has a question, then offers to drive him home.

A week after the makeover, Hansen is still going strong with creative ideas. He's loaded McClung up with freebies in the form of T-shirts and hats and passes to Wave Waikiki, and made him the guest of honor last night at a party in the Hanohano Room. He even arranged a vintage shopping trip, noting that "gently worn" clothes are perfect for a guy on a budget.

For his part, McClung has cleared his closet of most of his old clothes, although he's kept the shorts his mom gave him and the shirt he wore to his makeover. Hansen's assistant offered to give him an old car for free, but McClung, feeling guilty, paid $100 for it.

And he says women have responded. "They've told me, 'Now you look like someone who might actually go to a bar and women will look at you.' And none of the guys thought it was feminine, so that was a good reaction."

He also met up with some friends over dinner to assess the changes. Reactions were positive.

"This whole having a consultant was helpful," McClung said. "You can look in the mirror and look at your clothes and think you look all right, but having someone else tell you what you look like is helpful."

Hansen is also looking for more footwear for Andrew.

"I think he is really taking it to heart that I'm walking around campus in these sneakers," McClung said of the beat-up New Balances he wore the day of the makeover.

But McClung reverted to his old watch. Some habits are hard to change.

Hansen also embraced the change. "I actually had so much fun doing this, and felt so good about how good it made Andrew feel, I'm seriously thinking about starting to do this as a business."