EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

     This  Agreement  is dated as of  January  19,  1999 by and  between  Thomas
Konecki  (the  "Employee")  and J.  BAKER,  INC.,  a  Massachusetts  corporation
together with any subsidiaries of the Company (the "Company").


     WHEREAS,  the Employee  and the Company  desire to set forth in writing the
terms and  conditions of the  Employee's  employment  agreement with the Company
from the date hereof;

     NOW, THEREFORE,  in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein,
the parties hereto agree as follows:

     1.  Employment.  Under and  subject to the terms and  conditions  set forth
herein,  the Company  hereby  agrees to employ,  or to  continue to employ,  the
Employee  during the Term (as  defined  in Section 6 hereof) as its Senior  Vice
President and General Merchandise Manager of the Company's WGS. Corp. subsidiary
and/or in such other senior executive  management  position(s) with the Company,
or any parent or  subsidiary  of the  Company,  as the Board of Directors of the
Company (the "Board") may determine from time to time,  and the Employee  hereby
accepts such employment.

     2. Duties.  The Employee  agrees,  during the Term and any extension of the
Term,  faithfully  to perform for the Company  such duties as may be assigned to
him from time to time by the Company.  The Employee further agrees to devote his
entire business time,  attention and energies exclusively to such employment and
to conform to the rules,  regulations,  instructions,  personnel  practices  and
policies of the Company and its subsidiaries,  as existing and amended from time
to time.  The Employee may be required to relocate his principal  residence only
to an area in which the Company or a subsidiary of the Company has or determines
to have significant operations.

     3. Compensation.

     (a) The  Company  shall pay the  Employee  during  the Term an annual  base
salary of not less than $175,000,  payable no less often than monthly,  in equal
installments  in  accordance  with the  Company's  regular pay intervals for its
senior executives.

     (b) Cash Incentive  Compensation.  In addition to his annual base salary as
determined pursuant to Section 3(a), during the Term, the Employee shall also be
paid such amounts,  if any, to which the Employee is entitled,  as an officer of
the  Company,   under  the  Company's  Cash  Incentive  Compensation  Plan  (the
"Incentive Plan"), as from time to time such Incentive Plan may be amended.

     4. Other Benefits.

     (a) Fringe  Benefits.  The Employee shall be entitled to participate in all
benefit programs that the Company  establishes and makes available to management
generally  and in any event  shall be  entitled  to  receive  benefits  at least
substantially  comparable to those provided pursuant to the present practices of
the Company and its subsidiaries.

     (b) Paid  Vacations.  The  Employee  shall be  entitled  to an annual  paid
vacation of four (4) weeks in each  calendar  year,  to be taken at such time or
times as the Employee and the Company shall mutually agree,  provided,  however,
that no more than two (2) weeks  shall be taken  during any three  month  period
unless otherwise agreed upon by the Company's Chief Executive Officer.

     5.  Expenses.  The Company shall  reimburse the Employee for all reasonable
travel,  entertainment  and  other  business  expenses  incurred  or paid by the
Employee in performing his duties under this Agreement upon  presentation by the
Employee of expense statements or vouchers and such other supporting information
as the Company may from time to time request, provided, however, that the amount
available  for  such  expenses  may be  fixed  in  advance  by the  Board  after
consultation  with the  Employee.  The Company  shall also pay or reimburse  the
reasonable  relocation  expenses of the  Employee  (consistent  with the present
policies of the  Company) in  connection  with a  relocation  of the  Employee's
principal  residence  outside of the greater Boston area required by the Company
pursuant to Section 2 hereof.

     6. Effective Date and Term. This Agreement shall become effective as of the
date hereof and the Employee's employment under this Agreement shall commence on
such date and, unless sooner  terminated as provided  herein or extended,  shall
continue  for a term (the "Term")  ending on January 19, 2000.  The Employee and
the Company have obligations hereunder extending past the Term.

     7. Non-competition.

     (a) During the Employee's  employment under this Agreement or otherwise and
for a period of twelve (12) months  after the date of the  Employee's  voluntary
termination of such employment  (through his voluntary  resignation or otherwise
(the  "Termination  Date"),  the Employee will not,  without the express written
consent of the  Company,  anywhere in the United  States:  (i) compete  with the
Company or any other entity  directly or  indirectly  controlled  by the Company
(each an  "Affiliate"),  in the  Company's  Business (as defined in Section 7(c)
hereof);  or (ii) otherwise interfere with, disrupt or attempt to interfere with
or disrupt the  relationship  between the Company or an Affiliate and any person
or business that was a customer,  supplier,  lessor,  licensor,  contractor,  or
employee of the Company or such Affiliate on the Termination Date.

     (b)  The  term  "compete"  as  used in this  Section  7 means  directly  or
indirectly,  or  by  association  with  any  entity  or  business,  either  as a
proprietor, partner, employee, agent, consultant, director, officer, shareholder
(provided  that  the  Employee  may  make  passive  investments  in  competitive
enterprises the shares of which are listed on a national  securities exchange if
the  Employee  at no  time  owns  directly  or  indirectly  more  than 2% of the
outstanding  equity  ownership of such  enterprise)  or in any other capacity or
manner to solicit, hire, purchase from, sell to, rent from, or otherwise conduct
business related to the Company's  Business with any party that is a customer or
supplier of the Company or an Affiliate.

     (c) The term  "Company's  Business"  as used in this  Section  7 means  the
operation of any of the following  specialty retail  businesses,  as a principal
business  unit,  either  alone or in  combination:  (i)  Leased  Departments  in
discount or mass merchandising  department  stores;  (ii) retail stores offering
casual  clothing  for "Big  and  Tall"  men;  or (iii)  retail  stores  offering
primarily work related clothing and uniforms for medical and laboratory purposes
or the mail order catalog or corporate  ("business to business")  sales thereof.
The term shall also include any additional specialty retail businesses which the
Company may  acquire  subsequent  to the date  hereof and which are  operated as
principal business units of the Company on the Termination Date.

     (d) The term  "supplier"  as used in this Section 7 shall mean any party or
affiliate  of a party from  which,  on the  Termination  Date the  Company or an
Affiliate was purchasing or, in the one (1) year prior to the  Termination  Date
had purchased  products sold by the Company or an Affiliate or was in contact in
connection  with the purchase of products sold by the Company or an Affiliate on
or before the Termination Date.

     (e) The term  "customer"  as used in this Section 7 shall mean any party or
affiliate of a party,  that on the Termination  Date or within one year prior to
the Termination Date, was a wholesale vendee or prospective  wholesale vendee of
the Company or an Affiliate or in connection  with whose business the Company or
an Affiliate operated a Leased Department, a retail store for the sale of casual
clothing for "Big and Tall" men, work related  clothing and uniforms for medical
and laboratory purposes or any other specialty retail business which the Company
operated as a principal  business unit on the Termination Date, had contacted in
connection with the potential operation of such businesses within one year prior
to the  Termination  Date or which the  Company  or an  Affiliate  was  actively
planning  to contact in  connection  with the  potential  operation  of any such
businesses on the Termination Date.

     8.  Confidential  Information.  The  Employee  will  never  use for his own
advantage or disclose any  proprietary or confidential  information  relating to
the business  operations or  properties of the Company,  any Affiliate or any of
their respective customers,  suppliers,  landlords, licensors or licensees. Upon
termination  of the  Employee's  employment,  the Employee  will  surrender  and
deliver to the Company all documents and  information  of every kind relating to
or connected with the Company and Affiliates  and their  respective  businesses,
customers, suppliers, landlords, licensors and licensees.

     9. Termination.

     (a) Death.  In any event of the death of the Employee  during the Term, his
employment shall terminate and the Company shall pay to the Employee's surviving
spouse,  or to the  Employee's  estate  if their  is no  surviving  spouse,  the
Employee's  base  salary  for nine (9) months  from the date of death.  Upon the
death of the Employee,  the rights of the Employee's  surviving spouse or estate
hereunder, as the case may be, shall be limited solely to the benefits set forth
in this Section 9(a).

     (b)  Disability.  In the event that the Employee shall become  disabled (as
hereinafter  defined)  during  the Term,  the  Company  shall  have the right to
terminate the Employee's employment upon written notice, provided, however, that
in such event the Company shall continue to pay the  Employee's  base salary for
nine (9) months from the date such  termination  occurs,  payable in  accordance
with the Company's regular pay intervals for its senior executives. For purposes
of this  Agreement,  the Employee shall be considered  disabled on the date when
any physical or mental illness or other  incapacity  shall, in the judgment of a
majority of the members of the Board,  after consulting with or being advised by
one or more  physicians (it being  understood that one of such physicians may be
the  Employee's  physician  but that the Board shall not be bound by his views),
have  prevented  the  performance  in a manner  reasonably  satisfactory  to the
Company  of the  Employees  duties  under  this  Agreement  for a period  of six
consecutive months.

     (c) For Cause.  For  purposes  of this  Agreement,  "Cause"  shall mean the
occurrence of one or more of the following: (i) Employee is convicted of, pleads
guilty to, or confesses to any felony or any act of fraud,  misappropriation  or
embezzlement which has an immediate and materially adverse effect on the Company
or any  Subsidiary,  as  determined  by the  Board  in good  faith  in its  sole
discretion,  (ii) Employee engages in a fraudulent act to the material damage or
prejudice  of  the  Company  or  any  subsidiary  or in  conduct  or  activities
materially  damaging to the  property,  business or reputation of the Company or
any  Subsidiary,  all as  determined  by the  Board  in good  faith  in its sole
discretion, (iii) any material act or omission by Employee involving malfeasance
or negligence  in the  performance  of  Employee's  duties to the Company or any
Subsidiary  to the  material  detriment  of the  Company or any  Subsidiary,  as
determined by the Board in good faith in its sole discretion, which has not been
corrected by Employee  within 30 days after  written  notice from the Company of
any such act or  omission,  (iv)  failure by Employee to comply in any  material
respect  with the terms of his  employment  agreement,  if any,  or any  written
policies or  directives of the Board as determined by the Board in good faith in
its sole  discretion,  which has not been  corrected by Employee  within 30 days
after written notice from the Company of such failure, or (v) material breach by
Employee  of  his  non-competition  agreement  with  the  Company,  if  any,  as
determined by the Board in good faith in its sole discretion.

     (d) Without  Cause.  During the Term hereof the Company may terminate  this
Agreement at any time without cause. In such event, the Company shall pay to the
Employee,  in accordance with the Company's regular pay intervals for its senior
executives,  an amount equal to the greater of (i) the amount of Base Salary the
Employee  would have received  through the last day of the Term or (ii) nine (9)
months of Base Salary; provided, however, that any such payments shall be offset
by  any  salary  or  other  compensation  earned  by  the  Employee  from  other
employment.

     10. Approval of Board. The Company  represents that this Agreement has been
duly  approved by the Board and is in all  respects  valid and binding  upon the
Company.


     11. Key Person  Insurance.  The Employee agrees to take such actions as may
be  reasonably  required  to permit the  Company  to  maintain  key person  life
insurance on the  Employee's  life in such amounts and for such periods of time,
if any, as the Company deems appropriate, with all benefits being payable to the
Company.  Upon payment by the Employee of the cash surrender  value,  if any, of
any such policy and any paid but unearned premiums for such policy,  the Company
will assign such policy to the Employee upon termination  (other than because of
the Employee's death) of the Employee's  employment with the Company,  provided,
however, that, in the event the Employee's employment is terminated by reason of
the  disability of the Employee and the death of the Employee may  reasonably be
expected within one year after such  termination as a result of such disability,
the Company shall not be required to assign any such policy.

     12. Notices. Any notice or other communication  required or permitted to be
given  hereunder  shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given and
received when actually delivered, one business day after dispatch by telegraphic
means,  two  business  days after  dispatch  by  recognized  overnight  delivery
service,  or five days after mailing by certified or registered mail with proper
postage affixed,  return receipt  requested and addressed as follows (or to such
other  address  as a  party  entitled  to  receive  notice  hereunder  may  have
designated by notice pursuant to this Section 12):

                  (a)      If to the Company:

                           J. Baker, Inc.
                           555 Turnpike Street
                           Canton, Massachusetts 02021
                           Attention: President

                  (b)      If to the Employee:

                           Thomas Konecki
                           500-C Falls Boulevard, Apt. #3131
                           Quincy, Massachusetts 02169


     13. Severability.  If any provision of this Agreement or its application to
any person or circumstances is invalid or  unenforceable,  then the remainder of
this  Agreement  or the  application  of such  provision  to  other  persons  or
circumstances  shall not be  affected  thereby.  Further,  if any  provision  or
application  hereof is invalid or  unenforceable,  then a suitable and equitable
provision  shall be substituted  therefor in order to carry out so far as may be
valid or  enforceable  the intent and purposes of the invalid and  unenforceable
provision.

     14.  Applicable  Law. This Agreement  shall be interpreted and construed in
accordance  with,  and shall be  governed  by, the laws of the  Commonwealth  of
Massachusetts without giving effect to the conflict of law provisions thereof.


     15.  Assignment.  Neither of the parties hereto shall,  without the written
consent  of the  other,  assign or  transfer  this  Agreement  or any  rights or
obligations  hereunder,  provided,  however,  that in the event that the Company
sells all or  substantially  all of its assets the Company may assign its rights
and transfer its obligations hereunder to the purchaser of such assets. A merger
of the Company  with or into  another  corporation  shall be deemed not to be an
assignment of this Agreement, and, in any such event, this Agreement shall inure
to the  benefit  of and be  binding  upon  the  surviving  corporation  and  the
Employee.  Subject to the foregoing,  this Agreement  shall be binding upon, and
shall inure to the benefit  of, the  parties  and their  respective  successors,
heirs, administrators, executors, personal representatives and assigns.

     16.  Headings.  This  section  and  paragraph  headings  contained  in this
Agreement are for  convenience of reference only and shall not affect in any way
the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.



     17. Remedies.  It is specifically  understood and agreed that any breach of
the  provisions  of  Section  7 or 8 of this  Agreement  is  likely to result in
irreparable injury to the Company, that damages at law will be inadequate remedy
for such  breach,  and that in  addition  to any other  remedy it may have,  the
Company shall be entitled to enforce the specific  performance  of said Sections
and to seek both temporary and permanent  injunctive relief therefor without the
necessity of proving actual damages.

     18. Waiver of Breach. Any waiver by either the Company or the Employee of a
breach of any provision of this Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a
waiver of any subsequent breach.


     19.  Amendment of  Agreement.  This  Agreement  may be altered,  amended or
modified, in whole or in part, only by a writing signed by both the Employee and
the Company.


     20.  Integration.  This Agreement  constitutes the entire agreement between
the parties with respect to the subject  matter thereof and supersedes all prior
agreements with respect to such subject matter between the parties.

     Intending to be legally  bound,  the Company and the  Employee  have signed
this  Agreement  as if under  seal as of the  date set  forth at the head of the
first page.

                                                     J. BAKER, INC.


                                                      /s/ Alan I. Weinstein
                                                     -----------------------
                                                     Alan I. Weinstein
                                                     President

                                                      /s/ Thomas Konecki
                                                     -----------------------
                                                     Thomas Konecki