What to Wear to OCI: On-Campus Interview Outfits for Women

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young female job applicant shakes hands with a group of business people; she just might be having an on-campus interview in law school

OCI season means a lot of interviews in a very short time, and the last thing you want to stress about is your OCI outfit. Here’s what we recommend wearing to on-campus interviews, from suits and tops to shoes, jewelry, and the eternal skirt-suit-vs.-pants (and pantyhose) debate. If you have interviews coming up, good luck!

Readers, what would you tell a niece about what to wear to OCI? Do you agree with our take on skirt suits and pantyhose?

{Psst: Check out our Guide to Interview Suits and our updated guide to the best women’s suits for every budget, plus our best OCI tips and resources!}

The Quick Answer: What to Wear to OCI

Suit: Black, navy, or gray. Skirt suits and pantsuits are both fine.
Under the suit: An opaque top with sleeves, in case you want to take your jacket off (it also saves on dry cleaning).
Pantyhose: It depends on the firm and market. Sheer, neutral hose is the safe choice.
Shoes: Low-heeled pumps or polished flats.
Jewelry: A watch and small, quiet pieces. Nothing that jingles.
Repeat outfits: Yes, you can wear the same suit on multiple days. Just air it out each night.

I went through OCI myself as a law student, and we’ve been helping readers figure out interview attire here at Corporette since 2008.

What to Wear To an On-Campus Interview

Wear a Black, Navy, or Gray Suit.

We’ve rounded up suits for every budget, but we’d say that a mid-range suit is a good investment for OCI and multiple interviews (see our favorites below!). (You can see our regularly-updated roundup of all the best women’s suits, from budget-friendly options to designer options. We’ve also done roundups for tall, petite, and plus size suits.)

Yes, you can wear the same suit multiple days — just make sure to hang it up to air out immediately after you get home, make sure it doesn’t have any stains or loose threads, and does not smell.

(If it does, you can try spraying vodka or Febreze, or popping it in the freezer for a bit — but note that all may have downsides, including wrinkles and possibly smelling like Febreze (or vodka).)

“Black, navy, or gray suit” may seem weirdly specific — but those solid colors are the most likely to have matching separates available. For example, with Ann Taylor’s seasonless suiting, you can often find a dress, a skirt, multiple pairs of pants, and more than one blazer, all in the same fabric and color. That gives you plenty of options to mix and match throughout interview week, especially if something needs laundering.

When interview week is over, you’ll probably want to dry clean all the matching separates together to keep the color and wear consistent.

Yes, you can wear the same suit to multiple interviews with the same company or law firm. If it’s a neutral enough suit they probably will not even notice if you do have a repeat interviewer, but I think it’s far more common to have completely new interviewers for each round.

Don’t forget to cut your Xs, and do an interview outfit check in the mirror.

As of 2026, some of our favorite mid-range suits for women (which sometimes have such frequent sales that they come down to the same range as our “budget” suits) include Ann Taylor, J.Crew, Talbots, Banana Republic, All Saints, Favorite Daughter, and Spanx (!). (Talbots and J.Crew usually have plus sizes, and the others offer petites.)

Ann Taylor suit for women in Seasonless Stretch — Ann Taylor

one of the best mid-range suits for women, a black wool from Banana Republic — Ann Taylor

Do I Need to Interview in a Skirt Suit?

Both skirt suits and pantsuits are completely fine for most OCI situations. Wear whichever you feel most confident and comfortable in, especially since you may be walking between buildings and sitting for hours. Do note, though, that if you’re looking at budget suits, skirt suits are often a better fit off the rack; finding a pantsuit you feel great in can be a bit of a hunt.

Do I Need to Wear Pantyhose With a Skirt Suit?

The answer depends; expectations vary by firm, office, and geographic market. Your career counseling office is the best place to ask, as well as older students. Are bare legs fine? Sure; many interviewers won’t notice at all. But if they DO notice, do you really want them wondering whether you understand the expectations of a conservative workplace — or whether you’d be willing to follow a more formal dress code for court appearances or important client meetings?

When in doubt, sheer, neutral hose is the safe choice. (Here’s our guide to pantyhose for work.)

Wear an Opaque Sweater or Blouse Beneath Your Suit (Preferably With Sleeves).

If you haven’t worn a lot of suits, you may think it’s acceptable to wear a tank top or camisole under a blazer, as you often see on local news anchors. For interviews, though, you want the option to take off your suit jacket (too hot, coffee spill, whatever) — so we recommend an opaque, sleeved blouse. This can also help save on dry cleaning bills, although underarm guards are another option if you’re concerned about excessive sweating.

You have a few easy options here: the short-sleeved sweater like this one, a silky tee like this one, or a button-front blouse like this one. Some of our favorites… you can see more at our page discussing the best tops to wear under suits.

Our Favorite Short-Sleeve Sweaters To Wear Beneath Suits

Some of our favorite short-sleeved sweater tees include cashmere ones from Quince ($45!), Ann Taylor, and J.Crew. For other materials, try Tuckernuck (cashmere/silk), J.Crew Factory (100% cotton), and Amazon (viscose/poly). Nordstrom and Anthropologie both have a huge selection of sweater tees, also! (All of the ones below come in white and black, as well as other colors!)

short-sleeved sweater in beige from Ann Taylor — Ann Taylor

short-sleeved sweater in cashmere from J.Crew — Ann Taylor

Our Favorite Silky Tees To Wear Beneath Blazers

Some of our favorite silky T-shirts include Halogen, Quince, M.M.LaFleur, Ruti, and Banana Republic. This Banana Republic Factory top is only polyester, but readers have been loving it!

Great Button-Front Blouses for Interviews

Hunting for silk button-front blouses for work? As of 2026, readers love Boden, Everlane, M.M.LaFleur, and Lilysilk. For more affordable options check Quince ($69!); for fancier options check L’Agence and Equipment. We’ve also rounded up other kinds of silk blouses (tanks, popovers, etc.)!

model wears a silk blouse with black and blue dark florals — L’Agence

blue silk button-front blouse — L’Agence

Wear a Watch and Subtle Jewelry – Nothing That Makes Noise.

Hey, some earrings and bracelets do make noise! I always recommend a watch because there’s something about watches that conveys responsibility and attentiveness.

I’m always a fan of huggie earrings.

The Best Shoes to Wear with Interview Suits

You can wear flats or heels (or boots, honestly!) but if you’re looking for the “safest” interview shoes, we’d recommend low-heeled pumps like these or flats like these.

Great Low-Heeled Pumps to Wear with Suits

Some of our favorite comfortable low heels for work as of 2025 include Sarah Flint, M.M.LaFleur, Ferragamo, Ann Mashburn, CK Calvin Klein, Trotters, and Sam Edelman!

one of the best low heel work shoes in gray suede — Ferragamo

Great Women’s Flats for Interviews

For my $.02, I’d stick with more ballerina, pointy-toe, or square-toe flats and avoid things like oxfords and loafers. Make sure that your hem length is correct if you’re wearing pants.

Some of our favorite comfortable flats for work as of 2026 include Margaux, AGL, M.M.LaFleur, Vivaia, and French Sole. On the more affordable side, check out Rothy’s and Rockport. We’ve also rounded up the best loafers for work, and our favorite sneakers for work outfits!

brown flat from Naturalizer — Margaux (exact)

More Interview Attire Advice

Interview Shoes, Bags, and Accessories

OCI Suits

Interview Attire Questions

Hair, Makeup, Jewelry, and More

{related: guide for summer associates}

What are your thoughts on what to wear to on-campus interviews? Do you agree with our take on skirt suits and pantyhose, or are those debates finally over?

Stock photo at top: Deposit Photos / Wavebreakmedia.

3 Comments

Anonymous says:

08/04/2025 at at 7:22 pm

I think a dark suit (skirt or pants are fine), low/mid pumps, and hose (w/ skirts) is probably still the best way to go. There seems to be a movement to try and reassure people that what they wear doesn’t matter — it does! I understand it’s an aspirational thing, but I think we do students a disservice when we don’t give clear guidance.
Emily says:

08/08/2025 at at 11:35 pm

Totally agree that what you wear (for better or worse) matters. For most students on a budget I think the suit jacket is optional. A pair of slacks, 2 button downs, a comfortable pair of flats or heels, and a professional bag will get you through.
AFF says:

08/09/2025 at at 5:56 pm

So are black suits acceptable then for academic job interviews? I see so many conflicting views on this. There is the camp that says its fine or even preferable, and then there is the camp who thinks it makes you look like you’re either part of the catering staff or attending a funeral. Personally, I think it looks good. Maybe we are in a transition period in which US people are slowly coming around to accepting black suits for job interviews. I think in many other countries it has been acceptable for a long time already.

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