DeKALB | Taking a favored summer dress into a wearable fall fashion is a difficult task, but by understanding color, layering and using the right accessories, transitioning into a fall wardrobe is simple.

Layering with pieces like sweaters and over-sized garments works well for fall, said Cheyenne Sikorcin, senior fashion merchandising major and treasurer of the Fashion Industries Organization. These pieces change the warmth of an outfit to go with the weather. An accessory that works for layering and warmth is a scarf.

“You can easily take [scarves] off, you can easily put them on,” Sikorcin said. “It’s really easy to accessorize with a scarf.”

MaryAnn Lorenz, clinical assistant professor for the fashion merchandising department and adviser for the Fashion Industries Organization, agreed that layering and adding to outfits is perfect for fall.

She said an easy way to make a summer dress wearable for fall is to add fall pieces like tights, scarves and outerwear like a jean jacket or a bomber jacket.

When adding items to outfits, Lorenz considers colors. Her advice is to take summer clothes and add deeper tones.

Buying items that can be worn in both warmer and colder weather can make transitioning outfits from summer to fall easy, Sikorcin said. One of these garments is capri jeans.

“They’re not full jeans, but they’re not shorts,” Sikorcin said. “So they cover a little bit more, but they’re not too hot.”

Boots that can be worn in summer or fall like an ankle boot are good transition pieces too, Sikorcin said.

Sometimes fall weather can still be fairly warm. In this case, clothing meant for cooler weather like jackets and jeans can be worn with summer foot wear, Lorenz said.

“Still keep your sandals,” Lorenz said. “The key would be to update your pedicure to fall nail polish.”

Lorenz said that colors that are good for fall pedicures would be black, scarlet red or olive green. She said sandals can also work for fall when worn with a pair of tights.

“The biggest thing I would say is just ignore the rules,” Lorenz said. “You can wear white after Labor Day, [and] you can wear tights with sandals.”