<PAGE>

                                                                Exhibit 10.6

                            ANGELICA CORPORATION
                            EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
                               FIRST AMENDMENT
                               ---------------

         This Amendment ("Amendment") has been entered into as of the 15th
day of September 2003, by and between Angelica Corporation, a Missouri
Corporation ("Angelica") and Paul R. Anderegg, an individual ("Employee").

         WHEREAS, Angelica currently employs Employee as Vice President of
Angelica and President of Angelica's Textile Services Business Segment
pursuant to that certain Employment Agreement, dated the 1st day of
February, 2003 (the "Agreement"); and

         WHEREAS, Angelica and Employee wish to continue the employment
relationship between them and to amend the Agreement as set forth in this
Amendment.

         NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises herein
contained, the parties hereto agree to amend the Agreement as follows:

         1. Section 4.1 of the Agreement is hereby amended to read as follows:

                4.1 NOT IN CONNECTION WITH A TRIGGERING TRANSACTION. If
            Employee's employment with Angelica is terminated prior to the end
            of the initial Term or prior to the end of any subsequent renewal
            Term, as the case may be, (a) by Angelica without Good Cause
            or (b) by Employee for Good Reason, then upon the negotiation
            and execution of a mutually acceptable settlement and release
            agreement by Angelica and Employee (which will include
            covenants consistent with the provisions of Section 5 below),
            and in addition to any accrued salary and other payments owed
            to Employee under Angelica's other benefit plans and policies:

                      (a) EXTENDED SEVERANCE. For a period of twenty-four
                      (24) months following the date of such termination,
                      Angelica shall pay to Employee, on a semi-monthly basis
                      consistent with its then existing payroll practices, an
                      amount equal to Employee's then current Annual Base
                      Salary, less applicable taxes, withholdings and standard
                      deductions; provided, however, that during months 13
                      through 24 of such period, the amount of such payments
                      shall be reduced by the amounts, if any, earned by
                      Employee during such months as a result of
                      self-employment and/or employment with another
                      employer. As a condition to such payments during such
                      months, Employee agrees to provide Angelica with
                      verification, reasonably acceptable to Angelica,
                      substantiating the amount of any such earnings, or the
                      Employee's lack of other employment, as the case may
                      be;

                      (b) MEDICAL AND HEALTH BENEFITS. Angelica shall, during
                      the period specified below in this Section 4.1(b),
                      continue to make available to Employee and to other
                      eligible members of his immediate family, medical and
                      health benefits equivalent to those to which Employee
                      would have been entitled had his employment with Angelica
                      continued. Such benefits will be made available to
                      Employee for a period not to exceed twenty-four (24)
                      months following the date of termination of his
                      employment, or until such time as reasonably
                      comparable benefits become available to him under


<PAGE>
<PAGE>

                      another employer-provided plan, whichever occurs
                      earlier. Such benefits, for so long as they are made
                      available hereunder, shall be made available to
                      Employee at a cost to Employee not greater than what
                      his cost would have been had his employment with
                      Angelica continued; and

                      (c) ACCELERATION OF VESTING OF CERTAIN STOCK OPTIONS.
                      Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in
                      this Agreement, in any stock-based compensation plan
                      maintained by Angelica under which stock options have
                      been granted to Employee, or in any stock option agreement
                      entered into between Angelica and Employee pursuant to
                      such plan, any stock options held by Employee that have
                      not expired as of the date of Employee's termination of
                      employment with Angelica which are scheduled to vest
                      in accordance with their respective terms within the
                      twelve-month period following such termination date
                      shall be deemed to have vested immediately prior to
                      such termination of Employee's employment with
                      Angelica for the reasons stated above in this Section
                      4.1. Any such options, and each option that had become
                      vested prior to Employee's termination but remain
                      unexercised as of the termination date, shall remain
                      unexercised as of the termination date and shall
                      remain exercisable in accordance with the terms of the
                      stock-based compensation plan and/or the stock option
                      agreement under which such stock option was initially
                      awarded to Employee.

            In the case of a termination of Employee's employment with
            Angelica not in connection with a Triggering Transaction for
            any reason other than as stated in this Section 4.1 above,
            Employee shall be entitled only to accrued salary and other
            payments owed to Employee under Angelica's other benefit plans
            and policies.

         2. Except as otherwise expressly amended by this Amendment, all
            other terms, conditions and covenants of the Agreement shall
            remain unchanged and in full force and effect.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Employee and Angelica, pursuant to the
authorization from its Board, have caused this Amendment to be executed in
its name on its behalf, all as of the day and year first above written.

                                                 /s/ Paul R. Anderegg
                                                 -----------------------------
                                                 Paul R. Anderegg

                                                 ANGELICA CORPORATION

                                                 By:  /s/ Stephen M. O'Hara
                                                    -----------------------
                                                 Name: Stephen M. O'Hara
                                                       -----------------
                                                 Title: President & CEO
                                                        ---------------

                                     2