In this movie, Nancy's dress is very different from that of her schoolmates. And although most of her clothes were just a little bit outdated, she had some really cute things. Take this camel-colored coat, for instance.
It's a simple, double-breasted coat. As it is, I adore coats and wish people would wear them more often, but putting that aside.... One of the really nice things about this coat is its simplicity. A classic coat will go with everything. It also will last you a long time (if it is of good quality) and not go out of style. Coats are just plain expensive, so if you're going to buy one, you'd might as well buy a good one that you can wear with everything. As far as colors go, you don't have to stick to just beige and black. Brown, grey, navy blue, and red are also good. That's the funny thing about coats: you can get them in a number of colors, and they'll still work. It's because they cover up a good portion of your outfit to begin with. As to the length of a given coat, here is a good rule of thumb: if you're wearing pants, your coat should ideally be no more than knee-length; whereas with a skirt or dress, it should be at least knee-length. It's not the end of the world if this rule is broken (believe me, those of us without enough cash to get one in each length break it all the time), but it's better if followed.
Another fun thing you can do with coats is pins. Lapel pins and brooches are great because they add an extra touch to an otherwise plain coat, and can be changed as often as you like.
Scarves will also do that, but I will put that discussion off to a later date.
