Wearbest introduces the ultimate performance fabric at showtime

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

Chapel Hill, NC (June 29, 2005) -- Wearbest Sil-Tex Mills has partnered with American Fibers and Yarns Company (AF&Y) to develop a collection of performance fabrics for indoor/outdoor residential, hospitality and contract applications.

Marketed under the Bella-Dura™ brand, the high performance fabrics have been engineered with yarns exclusively for Wearbest and are unlike any other performance fabrics available. Bella-Dura fabrics are water repellant and deliver an impressive combination of features that are inherent to the yarn itself. Unlike fabrics with topical treatments, these features will never wear off:

• Stain resistant
• Bleach cleanable
• Antimicrobial
• Mildew resistant
• Meets or exceeds 1500 UV hours
• Achieves more than 50,000 double rubs

"Partnering with AF&Y has enabled us to create the perfect fabrics, outdoors and in", said Irwin Gasner, Wearbest CEO. "Combining AF&Y's technological expertise in fiber development with our award winning design talent, we were able to create luxurious performance fabrics with a unique color palette that provide a tremendous amount of inherent features. We have already generated substantial interest among our current customers, and are lining up new customers domestically and internationally."

Wearbest will introduce 30 designs in the Bella-Dura collection at Showtime. Developed to sell across all markets, Bella-Dura fabrics are backed by a 3 year residential / 2 year commercial warranty and range in price from $9.95 - $16.95.

"As a company, our greatest reward is to work with our customers to create exceptional fabrics that result in competitive advantages", said Jim Morelli, AF&Y Vice-President. "Our fiber technology with their design skills have created some truly unique and unrivaled fabrics in the marketplace. AF&Y looks forward to the success of Bella-Dura and a long time relationship with Wearbest. We are proud to be a part of the Bella-Dura program."

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.

About Wearbest Sil-Tex Mills, Ltd.
Wearbest Sil-Tex Mills, Ltd. is currently celebrating its 25th year anniversary, and is a leading weaver of yarn-dyed upholstery fabrics catering to the residential, contract and hospitality trades. Represented throughout our customers' collections are thousands of successful patterns that reorder on a daily basis, with a host of Trend awards received at various Decosits over the years. Wearbest Sil Tex Mills, Ltd. is considered to be the couture weaver of upholstery fabrics in the US, with prices from $7.95 to $25.95. Our fabrics range from cotton and poly blends to mercerized cotton and viscose to chenilles of all flavors, and even fabrics of silk and mercerized cotton blend, as well as fantastic 100% silk jacquards. Bella-Dura(TM) is the latest feather in Wearbest's cap in its continuing goal to be the single weaver of choice in our industry. For more information on Wearbest Sil-Tex Mills, please call 212-633-6620.