Dress code varies a lot by city as well as industry.

And by actual workplace! I would have thought my mother and I work for similar orgs in the same metro area, but she is always surprised by how dressed up I am for work. And I don't think I'm all that dressed up. (Like, I almost never wear a jacket....)

Everything I read on monster.com, etc, insists I shouldn't have to interview in a suit in my industry, but the recruiters firmly disagree.

I disagree, too! Not about your industry, but I think everyone should wear a suit for an interview, definitely for any kind of office job. Although I would count dress-and-jacket as suity enough.

I'm biased because I hate leggings, but I think of them as incredibly casual. I'd be startled if I saw them at work, even on a Friday.

My first workplace (financial, as noted) had a carefully enunciated dress code, in the employee manual. No sleeveless, mandatory hose, no open toes, no short sleeves for men, yadda yadda. We briefly and randomly had a jeans Friday some Fridays (it got so complicated they made it every Friday and then they yanked it entirely). My second job, medical/educational, no enunciated dress code--my boss just said "Dress as you wish to be seen" and wore a tie every day. Pfft. Some people in my team wore jeans every now and again, so I'd bust them out once a month or so, but I felt self conscious. Still, sandals were okay.

This job? Still nothing written down. Business casual is pretty nebulous. To some people, that includes polo shirts during the week. To others, those only come out on Fridays. Personally, I look askance at those that don't take advantage of denim on Fridays, but I like judging.

But they're just tights without the feet part! Why would that be startling? I mean, sure, if one were trying to wear them as pants, that's a whole 'nother story.

Here's the summer dress code for one of the Big Law firms (NY office): [link]

I don't like leggings but I can't see how they are less appropriate than tights.

I worked at Weil when I was a legal proofreader and even we had a dress code, even though clients never saw us. "No pants with patch pockets" was one of the directives I remember.

Well, they're not tights, so they're different from tights? I just think they look really casual.

Personally, I look askance at those that don't take advantage of denim on Fridays, but I like judging.

Too warm in the summer, though we can wear shorts (as long as they are dressier shorts - i.e. not cutoffs, spandex, athletic-style shorts, etc.).

I think it's funny that someone told me we have casual Friday here, except that's really a lie, because apparently any day can be casual if you want it to be -- my boss was in jeans yesterday for no apparent reason. People dress all kinds of ways here, so I figure the clothes I already own are fine, and will continue to be more casual on Fridays...

I worked at Weil when I was a legal proofreader and even we had a dress code, even though clients never saw us.

I work at a Weil competitor and we can wear just about whatever we want as long as they're not shorts or sweats. T-shirts without logos are common, but with logos are pretty rare outside of Fridays. We never see customers at all, and even when the Dutch overlords come to visit, they don't tell us to gussy up.