Exhibit
31.1

CHIEF
EXECUTIVE OFFICER CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF SARBANES-OXLEY ACT
2002

I, Robert J. Higgins,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Trans World Entertainment Corporation
(the Company), certify that:

| |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
| | --- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | (1) | I have reviewed this
  quarterly report on Form 10Q of the Company;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
| |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
| | (2) | Based on my knowledge,
  this quarterly report does not contain any untrue statement of a material
  fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made,
  in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not
  misleading with respect to the period covered by this quarterly report;        
| |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
| | (3) | Based on my knowledge, the
  financial statements, and other financial information included in this
  quarterly report, fairly present in all material respects the financial
  condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of, and
  for, the periods presented in this quarterly report;                              
| |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
| | (4) | The Companys other
  certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining
  disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
  13a15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as
  defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a  15(f) and 15-d-15(e)) for the Company and
  we have:
| |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
| |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | (a) | designed such disclosure
  controls and procedures or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to
  be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information
  relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
  known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period
  in which this report is being prepared;
| |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
| |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | (b) | designed such internal
  control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over
  financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide
  reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the
  preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with
  generally accepted accounting principles;   
| |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
| |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | (c) | evaluated the
  effectiveness of the Companys disclosure controls and procedures and
  presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the
  disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by
  this report based on such evaluation; and                                                                                            
| |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
| |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | (d) | disclosed in this report
  any change in the Companys internal control over financial reporting that
  occurred during the Companys most recent fiscal quarter that has materially
  affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Companys
  internal control over financial reporting; and                                                                       
| |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
| | (5) | The Companys other
  certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation
  of internal control over financial reporting, to the Companys auditors and
  the audit committee of the Companys board of directors:                                                                                                   
| |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
| |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | (a) | all significant
  deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal
  control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely
  affect the Companys ability to record, process, summarize and report
  financial information; and                                                                                                      
| |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
| |     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | (b) | any fraud, whether or not
  material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant
  role in the Companys internal control over financial reporting.                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Dated: December 7, 2006

| |                                        
| | ---------------------------------------
| | /s/ Robert J. Higgins                  
| | Chairman and Chief
  Executive Officer 
| | Trans World Entertainment
  Corporation

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