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Business Attire at Wharton Credit: Lionel Nicolau

Seniors will be making some tough decisions this month that will affect the rest of their lives.

For example: What color tie to wear? Which stockings best match my skin tone? And does a navy or black suit does a better job of saying "hire me!"

Last Tuesday marked the beginning of On Campus Recruiting, the time when about 400 firms come to campus to conduct 13,000 first-round interviews of students looking for jobs after college.

And while students' resumes and work experience are important for the interviews, appearance plays a big role as well - so much so that entire workshops are devoted to teaching students what to wear to their first meet-and-greet with potential employers.

Gail Madison, for example, started a company called the Madison School of Etiquette and Protocol 10 years ago. The school teaches business etiquette, covering everything from attire to dining to how to offer a business card.

Students today "are very confused about what to wear," said Madison, who has given seminars at business schools across the country.

And though Penn's Career Services also offers a similar etiquette-based workshop for students during the year, recruiters say Penn students are typically ahead of the pack in business dress.

JP Morgan recruiter Joanna Moody, who gives over 100 interviews at Penn each year, gave students "two thumbs up on interview dress."

She said a student's overall presentation - a neat suit and strong handshake - can make a difference in the interview, but smaller details like tie or panty-hose color usually don't raise eyebrows.

Still, she added, these details might make a much bigger impression on older interviewers who are more accustomed to wearing business-formal attire.

But students are finding their own resources for fashion advice.

Wharton senior Ananya Chatterjee, who is interviewing during OCR, said she learns from her previous interviews, as well as her friends'.

"All the students I know [at Penn] are extremely professional," Chatterjee said.

Even beyond Wharton, College senior Seth Shapiro is interviewing with 22 different firms for an investment banking job.

Despite his impressive resume, which includes internships with three financial firms, Shapiro is still caught up in the fashion frenzy of OCR.

"I feel like I should just sleep in [my suit]," he joked.

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