Ok folks! This is The Bachelor Makeover Contest follow-up you’ve been waiting for!

Women are all about the details fellas. We notice the small tear that you’re trying to hide by rolling up your sleeves, whether you’ve starched that shirt or bothered to iron it, a bad shave or haircut, even when you’ve let your fingernails grow out past that acceptable length! We’re not saying that you need to get regular mani/pedi’s, but a little extra effort goes a long way, especially if you’re in search of that perfect someone.

Needless to say, most men could use a tip or two in the wooing department, which is why My Girlfriend and It’s Just Lunch teamed up for The Bachelor Makeover Contest, offering Vancouver bachelors the chance to win a potentially life-changing grand prize worth over $4,000 that includes a ‘home run’ makeover and a dream date for Valentine’s Day.

Well, West Vancouver’s Peter Weddigen was that deserving bachelor, seen here after the surprise announcement.

Unbeknownst to Peter, he was nominated by friend Len Chasten, along with his entire swim team! It’s Just Lunch’s Jacquie Brownridge and My Girlfriend’s Jill Hannan received no less than nine testimonials which attested to Peter’s rightful place as the bachelor of the year.

Peter is a total Tom Hanks,” said Len, “a solid citizen, nice guy, decent looking, totally responsible…[but] while every woman would love to marry Tom Hanks, they really want to date George Clooney, or Brad Pitt.”

Fellow swimmer Carole McClean wrote, “Peter is always ready to go out while the rest of the swim team are busy with family obligations. He needs obligations of his own!”

To see Peter’s full transformation, read on!

Included in Peter’s basket of goodies is a one-year membership to It’s Just Lunch, a professional dating service for busy Vancouver singles, as well as a ‘home run’ makeover by My Girlfriend Bachelor Stylist Jill Hannan. This meant a crash course on among many things, fashion and grooming. Dabbler tagged along for the lesson and here are the highlights from Peter’s makeover, along with tips that every man can benefit from. This will be followed by an assessment from dating expert Jacquie Brownridge, who has matched Peter with a very promising date for Valentine’s Day.

First Stop: Vancouver Spa – Spruce Body Lab (in Yaletown), a gender neutral and luxurious environment that integrates the best of therapeutic treatment clinics and indulgent day spas into an experience that leaves you rejuvenated and refreshed. We checked Peter in for a customized facial and brow wax, but click here for info on the many other services offered at Spruce.

“Incorporate a great day and night skin care routine! Go for a facial and skin analysis at Spruce, where a dedicated team of skin care professionals is on hand to provide you with a customized treatment. Based on in-depth Face Mapping (a Dermalogica exclusive), they can target your skin’s individual needs to give you unsurpassed results.”

“Also make sure to buy brands designed specifically for men. Such products are formulated especially for you so why not reap their benefits! Need more reason than to look younger?! All skin types need moisture and sunscreen. As skin ages, you need to incorporate anti-aging products into your everyday routine. You’ll soon see (and feel) why. Women appreciate good skin!”

Here are some specific examples, courtesy of Masc, a shop in Yaletown that offers men of all ages the tools and information necessary to maintain a healthy and well-groomed appearance in a simple no-fuss manner. Considering Peter’s very active and busy lifestyle, these suggestions can help return what years of outdoor sports has stripped away:

MD Skincare All-In-One Cleansing Foam: Use this face wash in place of soap for a deep-pore cleanse that won’t strip your skin of its natural moisture. The built-in toner will also balance your skin’s moisture levels as you wash. Use it in the morning while you shower, and in the evening before bed.

Malin+Goetz Vitamin E Face Moisturizer: This oil-free, residue-free moisturizer scientifically synthesizes natural vitamins E and B5 and soothing chamomile with absorbent fatty acids. It gently and effectively hydrates and ph balances all skin types, unlike traditionally greasy pore-clogging oils, for an intensely nourishing treatment, reducing epidermal irritation for the most sensitive of skin. After cleansing, apply a small amount of concentrated, absorbent moisturizer onto face. Use in the AM and PM.

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm: Enriched with superior skin conditioners and antioxidants, this emollient balm soothes and relieves dry, chapped, irritated lips. Unlike waxy sticks, it penetrates quickly to provide instant relief. Offers broad-spectrum sun protection with an SPF of 25; also guards against windburn and temperature extremes. Contains natural mint to help freshen breath. Apply to lips whenever they feel dry or chapped. Use 30 minutes before going out in the sun to protect against damaging UVA and UVB rays. Winner of the 2007 Esquire Magazine Grooming Awards.

Next Stop: Headspace Hair Salon in Yaletown

Yes yes dear readers, we’re not blind to the obvious. Peter’s hair is much too short for anything drastically different. That being said, it doesn’t hurt to do some touch-ups to finesse the ends for an extra tidy look.

“For those men out there with particularly fine or thinning hair, you may want to consider shaving it off or cutting it extremely short, just as stylist Hieu from Headspace has done for Peter. There’s no point in hanging on to a few hairs; this is not attractive. Besides, women love bald heads…we think they’re sexy, so go for it! You can grow facial hair instead, such as a well-kept goatee.

And before you reach for that bottle of hair colouring, consider this: Salt and pepper hair is sexy and women love it. If you’re going grey, leave the Grecian Formula behind!

To enjoy a fuller head of hair, try the Bumble and Bumble Density Therapy line instead. These unique, synergistic formulas deliver nutrients to the scalp, reduce irritation, strengthens the root system, stimulates cellular energy and create a fertile environment for healthy growth.”

The Must Stop: Winners for all the fashion essentials, where you can shop countless name brands (such as Diesel, Calvin Klein, G-Star, Cole Haan, Kenneth Cole, Dolce & Gabbana to name a few) without paying name brand prices. We scoured the Park Royal Winners in West Vancouver, but do visit different locations as they each receive new (and different) shipments every week.

“Peter’s wardrobe was very outdated and old-fashioned. He was dating himself at least ten years with some of the items that we found in his closet! So guys, if you want to show women that you’re hip, in-the-know and care enough to look your best for them, keep an eye out for what the current fashions are!”

Check out what a great difference a few simple fashion upgrades can do for Peter’s appearance with this before and after comparison. They certainly give off very different first impressions, don’t they? Follow Jill’s advise on all the do’s and don’ts for him, or any man out there:

Jeans: Update them! Rid your closet of overly faded and baggy (specially around the derrière) blue jeans with a high waist, tapered legs and thin belt loops. Instead, buy a current style straight leg or boot-cut pair in a darker wash with subtle fading and wide belt loops. Tapered pant legs give you an upside down pear shape whereas a straight leg or a slight flare will balance you out from top to bottom…i.e. with your shoulders.

Pants: Stay away from pleats! Chances are they are tapered in the leg and high wasted – not a flattering look for anyone. Buy pants that are flat front with a straight leg. To find out if they are straight legged, simply fold the bottom of the pant to meet the knee. If it is narrower than the width of the knee, then it is tapered and not straight.

Black or Chocolate Brown Belt: Now that you have updated your jeans, you will need to update your belt. Chances are that if your jeans are outdated, so are the belt loops, which mean you’re wearing a thin dress belt to hold them up – again, not a good look. Neither is the one seen here. You need to buy a chunkier belt to fit the belt loops in your new jeans. Black or chocolate brown with a silver buckle will never go out of style and will be versatile with black or brown shoes.

Unbeatable Value: Peter’s Cole Haan black leather belt, which retails at $100, was purchased for $16 at Winners!

The All-Essential and Versatile White Dress Shirt: Every man needs a fabulous white dress shirt that fits his body. The rule here is that you shouldn’t be able to grab more than a hand-full of fabric at the back of any shirt (the “One Fist Rule”). Designer dress shirts are your best bet as they fit slimmer through the waist, giving you a more defined shape. Remember that they typically fit one size smaller, so don’t be afraid to go up a size. Wear it over a nice cotton T with a crew neck, buttoned up or unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up for a more casual look, tucked in with a tie and sport coat or untucked.

Unbeatable Value: Normally tagged at $150, Peter’s G-Star white Oxford was nabbed for $44!

Polo Shirt: A thin-striped or plain coloured polo shirt in mercerized cotton is a great casual, weekend look. You want to make sure it is a slimmer fit through the body, once again using the One Fist Rule; you don’t want the shirt to be wider in the body than it is long. Wear this with your new jeans and a pair of trainers for kicking around on the weekend and out on coffee dates.

White Crew Neck T-Shirt: Every man needs a few white cotton crew neck T’s for underneath dress shirts and sweaters. Make sure that it hugs your body, without being too tight; you don’t want a lot of extra fabric here because you are going to be layering and don’t want the extra bulk, especially if you’re tucking in a shirt for a more formal look. They’re great under Oxford shirts for a more casual look and also to hide chest hair. You should have a few in your wardrobe and make sure to toss them when the armpits appear yellow.

Tie: Every man should have a spiffy blue 100% silk tie to wear with jeans and a white dress shirt. This adds a sophisticated look and takes you from day to night in a snap. Throw on a sport coat and/or sweater for another great look. Ties should be sophisticated and subtle – no loud or juvenile prints…Mickey Mouse and Wiley Coyote are out! Thinner stripes, small polka dots or a small pattern are fine.

Now that Peter’s ready for his date, let’s find out what his personal dating assistant, Jacquie Brownridge, managing partner at It’s Just Lunch has to say about our bachelor:

Symptoms: Peter has been busy building his career as a treasury consultant, which included a lot of travel up until recently. Whenever he wasn’t working or travelling, he was involved in numerous sports from hockey, to swimming, to snowboarding in the winter, and windsurfing in the summer. Throw in a few family excursions to a dude ranch, and there isn’t much time left for meeting eligible singles. Add to that the fact that most of his buddies are married or male, and that he’s not the type of guy that hangs out at a bar and you can through opportunity out the window as well. Peter is typical of a number of our clients. The reason he is still single at 43 is not due to any one “flaw” that can be pinpointed; he doesn’t have some weird quirky behaviour that has scared away all the eligible bachelorettes. Peter is a busy guy and that truly is the root cause of his bachelor status. He is extremely well-rounded and his interests range from gardening to dabbling in the arts and painting with acrylics. He is a member of the art gallery, is well versed in politics, and knows a bit about fine wine. His last serious relationship was with a long-distance love.

Dating Prescription: We looked into matching Peter with someone who is sporty, personable, intelligent, and looking forward to getting married and starting a family. Plus she has traditional values that match Peter’s.

We’ve selected someone who could be perfect for Peter. She’s super sporty and loves the water, which is a must where Peter is concerned. She also runs marathons, so she can keep up with Peter! She’s never been married, but looks forward to having a family some day. And the bonus: They both love dabbling with acrylics and both love dogs – and both note no cats on their profile. What are the chances of that?! Their first date is a romantic dinner tonight!

Potential Side Effects: A second date!

Best Taken With: An open mind, a smile and some fun! Peter will get the most out of his new approach to dating with IJL if he’s open to meeting lots of different people. We so often hear love stories from clients about how their best match was the one they least expected and totally against type. It’s all about attitude! She might not be the “one” but may introduce you to the “one.”

GOOD LUCK PETER!

It’s Just Lunch offers a fun, proactive approach to dating. The first date specialists, IJL arranges lunch dates and drinks after work for busy professionals in a discreet, no-pressure setting. Founded in 1991, the company now has locations all over the world, thousands of clients, and countless success stories. Everything is confidential; no photos or personal information goes online. Every client is met face to face by their personal dating assistant, who coordinates clients’ schedules and makes the reservations.

Contact Details:

It’s Just Lunch Directors for Vancouver, Whistler, Victoria, and the Fraser Valley:

Jacquie Brownridge
Karren Day
Christine Morela
Candace Neskar
t: 604.633.9980

Services also available in Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto. For international contact info, visit www.ItsJustLunch.com.

My Girlfriend is the girlfriend behind every bachelor who hopes to ask a woman out, bring her home and have her spend the night rather than send her running. Founded by Jill Hannan, My Girlfriend’s mission is to reinvent men, one bachelor at a time. She targets the single, straight male who needs the help of a woman he trusts to bring him up to speed in terms of fashion, grooming, home décor and comforts, culture, food and wine. From flowers, a bottle of wine, and fresh ingredients in the fridge, to music, clean sheets, and a sparkling clean shower with all the right products, My Girlfriend advises Bachelors on the behind-the-scene details that truly matter.

Contact Details:

Jill Hannan t: 604.616.0197
Elise Craig t: 778.837.1950