An embarassingly long time ago, I had this very nice e-mail from Jaime.

I have lately begun to buy all my clothes from the Lands’ End catalog because it makes dressing myself a total no-brainer in the morning. (I am not a morning person and neither are my two girls, ages 1 and 3.) Plus–I’m embarrassed to admit this–but I HATE to shop. Yikes! I know–I am so missing the girlie genes! So, I have ended up with a closet full of Lands End’s 7-day chinos and button down collar dress shirts in all colors. Sort of like a guy’s closet. Occasionally I will throw on a dress from J.Crew just to shake things up a little. I work in the local Farm Bureau office, so I don’t need to “dress up” very much. I also am completely hopeless with the iron, so clothing that doesn’t need pressing is very appealing to me. Especially since we don’t have a dry cleaners here in the small town where I live. (I am in a very rural part of Missouri.)

What can I do to make my wardrobe more “girlie” without losing any of the versatility that I have now? I frequently walk or bike the 2 miles to work. I would like to add accessories, but I’m clueless about what kind. I don’t own any belts and I almost never wear earrings or even a watch–mostly because I never know what to buy. I get sort of overwhelmed anytime I step near a jewelry counter.

Jaime’s question is especially timely just now (which is the real reason I haven’t answered it, not because I’ve been distracted by cleaning out my closet and watching re-runs of What Not to Wear) because menswear is back for fall. Tailored trousers and blouses and jackets are everywhere, which is terrific news if you’re working on building a wardrobe of timeless basics, and the strategy for wearing those tailored clothes is to soften them with more feminine accents. Jewelry is an easy solution–pair a basic button down with a funky necklace or with a pair of classic gold hoop earrings–but there are other options as well.

Dolce Vita London, Piperlime, $105.00

Color
Pink is back for Fall 2007, and it’s a big, bright pink. Look for scarves and shoes and bags in shades of fuschia and coral. Not a pink girl? Try blue (periwinkle or peacock) or green (teal or sage) or even orange. The idea is to break up the monochromatic winter palette of gray/black/brown with something bright and feminine. Use bright colors as an accent rather than as the focus of your outfit, to maintain a professional tone.

Pattern
Traditional menswear patterns like tweed and herringbone and plaid are back for fall; mix them with floral and paisley prints for a softer edge. Again, think about small pieces in girly prints–a scarf (worn around your neck or tied to your handbag) or bag or belt. Or pair a paisley blouse with a tweed skirt for a more dramatic look. A good rule of thumb if you want to mix prints is to stop at two, and to choose one big print and one small.

Cut
Look for ways to make your menswear show off your womanly figure. Belt a cardigan at the waist to create an hourglass shape; pair a button down with a bias-cut skirt for a little swing. Add one frilly blouse to your closet, something with ruffles on the placket or collar or cuffs; wear with tailored trousers and pretty shoes.

Shoes
Speaking of pretty shoes, this fall is all about fun details on the footwear. Look for bows and buckles and sparkly embellishments; think too about animal prints, particularly snake and crocodile. With a more tailored outfit, go bold on the shoes; indulge in bright colors and funky textures. The snake skin flats pictured above would be terrific with chinos or jeans or wool trousers.

Lipstick
I don’t usually talk about makeup, but lipstick is back for fall, and it’s an easy way to make any outfit a little more feminine. Red is big this year, but you can also look for a soft pink or coral shade. Choose a lipstick that works with your skin tone, rather than matching it to your outfit (please, do NOT match your makeup to your clothes, I’m begging you).

Have you joined The Working Closet Flickr pool yet? Starting Saturday, September 1 (yes, THIS Saturday!) show us what you’re wearing to work. I’ll be posting my outfits every day in September, which may mean an occasional day of yoga pants and a ball cap.