Exhibit 5

                                  Ausust 4, 1997

V.F. Corporation
1047 North Park Road
Wyomissing, Pennsylvania 19610

                  Re:      Registration Statement on Form S-8

Dear Sir/Madam:

                  Reference is made to a Registration Statement on Form S-8 of
V.F. Corporation (the "Company") which is being filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the "Registration Statement").
Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed
to them in the Registration Statement.

                  The Registration Statement covers 3,825,205 shares of Common
Stock, no par value, stated capital $1.00 per share, of the Company (the
"Shares"), issuable by the Company pursuant to awards granted or available for
grant under the Company's 1996 Stock Compensation Plan (the "Plan").

                  We have examined the Registration Statement, including the
exhibits thereto, the Company's Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws as
currently in effect, the Plan and such other documents as we have deemed
appropriate. In the foregoing examination, we have assumed the genuineness of
all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals
and the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as copies of originals.

                  Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the
Shares, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of, and upon
exercise of the options granted under, the Plan, will be validly issued, fully
paid and non-assessable.

                  We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5
to the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not hereby admit
that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under
Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and
regulations thereunder.

                                                  Sincerely,

                                                  PEPPER, HAMILTON & SCHEETZ LLP