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                                                                      Exhibit 23

                         CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS


Board of Directors and Stockholders
Blair Corporation


We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Form 10-K of Blair
Corporation and Subsidiary of our report dated January 30, 1998, included in the
1997 Annual Report to Stockholders of Blair Corporation.

Our audits also included the financial statement schedule of Blair Corporation
and Subsidiary listed in Item 14(a). This schedule is the responsibility of
Blair Corporation's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion
based on our audits. In our opinion, the financial statement schedule referred
to above, when considered in relation to the basic financial statements taken as
a whole, presents fairly in all material respects the information set forth
therein.

We also consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement
on Form S-8 dated July 17, 1997, pertaining to the Blair Corporation Employee
Stock Purchase Plan, of our report dated January 30, 1998, with respect to the
consolidated financial statements incorporated herein by reference, and our
report included in the preceding paragraph with respect to the financial
statement schedule included in this Form 10-K of Blair Corporation.


                                                      /s/ ERNST & YOUNG LLP

Buffalo, New York
March 19, 1998



