HOT SOX SELECTS HIGH-PERFORMANCE INNOVA® YARN FOR POLO-RALPH LAUREN SOCK

Press Contact:
Tracey Campbell (800-925-0668) (twcampbell@afyarns.com)
John Avant (919-676-4115) (john.avant@avant.com)

Chapel Hill, NC (December 8, 2005) – Innova® yarns from American Fibers and Yarns Company (AF&Y) have been selected for a men’s athletic/sport sock marketed under the Polo brand.  The sock will be designed and marketed by New York-based Hot Sox, the licensee of Polo-Ralph Lauren Hosiery for 25 years.

“Innova yarns have made it possible for us to blend comfort and performance in ways never before possible,” said Gary Wolkowitz, President of Hot Sox. “Innova is engineered from a synthetic base, but designed to have the look and feel of cotton.  Therefore, we can produce comfortable, long-wearing socks that are colorfast even when washed in bleach.  Hot Sox is well known as an innovative, fashion hosiery company.  The Polo sock made with Innova yarns further validates our commitment to creating unique and differentiated products.”

Hot Sox is introducing the socks in black, bright orange, silver and white. Priced at $14.50, the socks will be available nationwide at retailers including Bloomingdales, Dillards, Filenes, Macys Central, Macys East, Macys Florida and Macys West.

Features include moisture wicking and quick drying, bacteria and odor resistance, color fastness (bleach-cleanable),arch support, terry sole for cushioning and reinforced heel and toe for longer wear.

About American Fibers and Yarns Company
American Fibers and Yarns Company (AF&Y) is the world’s leading supplier of solution dyed filament yarns. With thousands of yarns in its product portfolio and the ability to engineer yarns to customer specifications, AF&Y is a dominant supplier to the residential and contract furnishings marketplace, and has a growing presence in the hospitality, apparel, automotive and industrial markets. Headquartered in Chapel Hill, NC, AF&Y maintains a Technology Center that specializes in engineering filament yarn with innovative combinations not available from other suppliers.  The company also operates two U.S. production facilities totaling six hundred thousand square feet of manufacturing space.  For more information on AF&Y and its products, please visit www.afyarns.com or call 800-925-0668.