[ ] Check this box if no longer
     subject to Section 16. Form 4
     or Form 5 obligations my
     continue.  See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935
or Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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Estimated average burden
hours per response:    1.0

1.  Name and Address of Reporting Person*

   Sterling        John              F.
    (Last)         (First)       (Middle)


          4111 Mint Way

2.  Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol

   Pillowtex Corporation    (PTX)

3.  IRS or Social Security Number of
     Reporting Persons (Voluntary)
         ###-##-####

6.  Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
    (check all applicable)

          Director                    10% Owner
    X     Officer                      Other (specify
                                               below)
               Vice President and General Counsel

            (Street)

    Dallas         Texas        75237

4.  Statement for Month/Year
        June 2000

7.  Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable)
    X     Form filed by One Reporting Person
           Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

    (City)        (State)        (Zip)

5.  If Amendment, Date of Original
    (Month/Year)

1.  Title of Security

2. Trans-
   action
   Date

 (Month/
  Day/
  Year)

3. Transaction
   Code
  (Instr. 8)



Code          V

4. Securities Acquired (A)
   or Disposed of (D)
   (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)



Amount     (A) or (D)       Price

5. Amount of
  Securities
  Beneficially
  Owned at
  End of
  Month
(Instr. 3 and 4)

6. Ownership
   Form:
   Direct (D)
   or Indirect
   (I)

  (Instr. 4) 

7. Nature of
   Indirect
   Bene-
   ficial
  Ownership

   (Instr. 4)

1. Title
of Deriv-
ative Sec-
urity
(Instr. 3)

2. Conver-
  sion or
  Exercise
  Price of
  Deriv-
  ative
  Security

3. Trans-
  action
  Date


  (Month/
  Day/
  Year)

4. Transac-
  Code
  (Instr. 8)








Code       V

5. Number
of Deriv-
ative secur-
ities Acq-
quired (A)
or Disposed
of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4
and 5)


(A)          (D)

6. Date Exer-
 cisable and Ex-
 piration Date

 (Month/Day/
  Year)



Date         Expira-
Exer-         tion
siable         Date

7. Title and Amount
of Underlying Sec-
urities
(Instr. 3 and 4)




                   Amount
                   or Num-
                   ber of
Title              Shares

8. Price
of
Deriv-
ative
Secur-
ity
(Instr.
5)

9. Num-
ber of
Deriva-
tive Secur-
ities
Bene-
ficially
Owned
at End
of
Month
(Instr. 4)

10. Own-
ership
Form of
Deriva-
tive Secu-
rity:
Direct
(D) or
Indirect
(i)
Instr. 4

11. Na-
ture of
Indirect
Benefi-
cial Owner-
ship
(Instr. 4).

Employee
Stock
Option(1)

$4.3125

6/28/2000

A        V

10,000

6/28/2001 thru
6/27/2010

Common
Stock          10,000

$4.3125

15,000

      D

** Intentional misstatements or omission of facts constitute Federal Criminal
Violations. See 18 U.S. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually
signed.
       If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedures.
Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained
in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently
valid OMB Number.

__ /s/ John F. Sterling_____________                         6/28/2000
    **Signature of Reporting Person                                   Date