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                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.5

                               Polymer Group, Inc.
                               4838 Jenkins Avenue
                     North Charleston, South Carolina 29405



                                                  ((Date))


((Address))


                           Re:      Polymer Group, Inc.
                                    Grant of Nonqualified Stock Option

Dear((Name)):

         In consideration of your continued service on the Board of Directors of
Polymer Group, Inc., (the "COMPANY"), the Company is pleased to present you with
a stock option (an "OPTION"), as provided below, under the 2001 Polymer Group
Stock Option Plan (the "PLAN"), a copy of which is attached hereto.

         1. DEFINITIONS. Capitalized terms used in this agreement (the
"Agreement") and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings given to
such terms in the Plan.

         2. OPTION.

         (a) TERMS. Your Option is to purchase up to ((Amount)) shares of Common
Stock (the "OPTION SHARES") at an exercise price per share of $2.75 (the
"EXERCISE PRICE"), payable upon exercise as set forth in paragraph 2(b) below.
Your Option will expire in increments corresponding to the vesting schedule
described in Section 3(a) below, such that each portion vested and exercisable
will expire at the close of business on the date ten (10) years from the
respective date that such portion became vested and exercisable, subject to
earlier expiration in connection with your removal from the Board for any reason
as provided in paragraph 4(b) below and as provided in the Plan (each date being
herein called the "EXPIRATION DATE" for the portion of your Option to which such
date relates). Your Option is not intended to be an Incentive Stock Option.

         (b) PAYMENT OF OPTION PRICE. Subject to paragraph 3 below, your Option
may be exercised in whole or in part upon payment of an amount (the "OPTION
PRICE") equal to the product of (i) the Exercise Price multiplied by (ii) the
number of Option Shares to be acquired. Payment shall be made as provided in the
Plan.

         3. EXERCISABLILITY/VESTING

         (a) NORMAL VESTING. Your Option may be exercised only to the extent it
has not expired. Your Option will incrementally vest and become exercisable with
respect to the following percentages of your Option Shares on the anniversaries
of the date of grant as reflected below, if and only if you are, and have been,
continuously serving on the Board of the Company from the date of this Agreement
through and including the vesting date for each respective portion represented
as a percentage of your Option; provided, that if you are voted off the Board by
the


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shareholders prior to three (3) years from the date of grant, such Option may
still vest in accordance with the schedule set forth below:


<Table>
<Caption>
         Date                                        Portion Vested
         ----                                        --------------
         <S>                                         <C>
         Date of this Agreement                            25%
         First Anniversary                                 25%
         Second Anniversary                                25%
         Third Anniversary                                 25%
</Table>

         (b) CHANGE OF CONTROL/OWNERSHIP. In the event that any person or group
  (other than Jerry Zucker and/or James G. Boyd and/or Golder, Thoma, Cressey &
  Rauner and/or one or more of their affiliates, individually or collectively),
  acting jointly or in concert, becomes the owner or controlling body, directly
  or indirectly, of your location or division (the "Business Unit"), or the
  Company in its entirety, all unvested shares will immediately vest and become
  exercisable.

         4. EXPIRATION OF OPTIONS.

         (a) NORMAL EXPIRATION. In no event shall any part of your Option be
exercisable after the applicable Expiration Date set forth in paragraph 2(a)
above.

         (b) EXPIRATION UPON TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT. In the event that you
resign from the Board on or prior to three (3) years from the date of grant, all
unvested portions of your Option shall immediately expire and not be exercisable
under any circumstances. Any portions of your Option that were vested and
exercisable on the date of your resignation from the Board will expire 90 days
from the date of such resignation, but in no event later than the Expiration
Date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if you are voted off the Board by the
shareholders, any unvested portions of your Option may continue to vest and
become exercisable for a period of up to three (3) years from the date of the
vote. Any portions of your Option becoming vested and exercisable in the three
year time period following the vote shall expire on the final day of such three
year period. By your acceptance of this Option, you acknowledge and agree that
the Plan provides that if, at any time after your departure from the Board, you
engage in conduct that the Committee determines to be detrimental to the
Company, your Option is subject to immediate forfeiture without prior notice.

         5. PROCEDURE FOR EXERCISE. You may exercise all or any portion of your
Option, to the extent it has vested and is outstanding, at any time and from
time to time prior to its expiration, by delivering written notice to the
Company as provided in the Plan. Any questions on your Option should be directed
to Jay Tiedemann, Vice President - Human Resources, Risk Management, and
Administration at the Company's Corporate Office.

         6. SECURITIES LAWS RESTRICTIONS AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER OF
OPTION SHARES. You represent that when you exercise your Option you will be
purchasing Option Shares for your own account and not on behalf of others. You
understand and acknowledge that federal and state securities laws govern and
restrict your right to offer, sell or otherwise dispose of any Option Shares
unless your offer, sale or other disposition thereof is registered under the
Securities Act and state securities laws, or in the opinion of the Company's
counsel, such offer, sale or other disposition is exempt from registration or
qualification thereunder. You agree that you will not offer, sell or otherwise
dispose of any Option Shares in any manner which would: (i) require the Company
to file any registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(or any similar filing under state law) or to amend or supplement any such
filing or (ii) violate or cause the Company to violate the Securities Act, the
rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or any other state or federal law.
You further understand that the certificates for any


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Option Shares you purchase will bear such legends as the Company deems necessary
or desirable in connection with the Securities Act or other rules, regulations
or laws.

         7. TRANSFER LIMITATIONS. Your Option is personal to you and may only be
transferred as a result of your death, testate or intestate, by will or the laws
of descent and distribution. It shall be a condition precedent to transfer of
your Option that the transferee executes and delivers an agreement acknowledging
that such Option has been acquired for investment and not for distribution and
is and shall remain subject to this Agreement and the Plan.

         8. CONFORMITY WITH PLAN. Your Option is intended to conform in all
respects with, and is subject to all applicable provisions of, the Plan, which
is incorporated herein by reference. Inconsistencies between this Agreement and
the Plan shall be resolved in accordance with the terms of the Plan. By
executing and returning the enclosed copy of this Agreement, you acknowledge
your receipt of this Agreement and the Plan and agree to be bound by all of the
terms of this Agreement and the Plan.

         9. RIGHTS OF PARTICIPANTS. Nothing in this Agreement shall confer upon
you any right or obligation to continue on the Board of Directors of the Company
or shall affect in any way the right of the shareholders to remove you from the
Board by majority vote.

         10. ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER.

         (a) RESTRICTIVE LEGEND. Unless the Option Shares are covered by an
effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the certificates representing the Option Shares will bear the following legend:

         "THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE WERE ORIGINALLY ISSUED
         ON ______________, 1996, HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES
         ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE "ACT"), OR UNDER ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS
         AND MAY NOT BE SOLD OR TRANSFERRED IN THE ABSENCE OF AN EFFECTIVE
         REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES
         LAWS OR AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION THEREUNDER."

         (b) OPINION OF COUNSEL. You may not sell, transfer or dispose of any
Option Shares (except pursuant to an effective registration statement under the
Securities Act) without first delivering to the Company an opinion of counsel
reasonably acceptable in form and substance to the Company that Registration
under the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law is not required
in connection with such transfer.

         11. REMEDIES. The parties hereto will be entitled to enforce their
rights under this Agreement specifically, to recover damages by reason of any
breach of any provision of this Agreement and to exercise all other rights
existing in their favor. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that money
damages may not be an adequate remedy for any breach of the provisions of this
Agreement and that any party hereto may, in its sole discretion, apply to any
court of law or equity of competent jurisdiction for specific performance and/or
injunctive relief (without posting bond or other security) in order to enforce
or prevent any violation of the provisions of this Agreement.

         12. AMENDMENT. Any provision of this Agreement may be amended or waived
only with the prior written consent of the holder of the Option and the Company.

         13. SEVERABILITY. Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement
will be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable
law, but if any provision of


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this Agreement is held to be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such
provision will be ineffective only to the extent of such prohibition or
invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of this Agreement.

         14. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two
or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original, but all of
which taken together shall constitute one and the same Agreement.

         15. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS. The descriptive headings of this Agreement
are inserted for convenience only and do not constitute a part of this
Agreement.

         16. GOVERNING LAW. All questions concerning the construction, validity
and interpretation of this Agreement will be governed by the internal law, and
not the law of conflicts, of the State of Delaware.

         17. NOTICES. All notices, demands or other communications to be given
or delivered under or by reason of the provisions of this Agreement shall be in
writing and shall be deemed to have been given when delivered personally or
mailed by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested and postage
prepaid, to the recipient. Such notices, demands and other communications shall
be sent to you and to the Company at the addresses indicated below:

         (a) If to the Optionee:

             ((Address))

         (b) If to the Company:

             Polymer Group, Inc.
             4838 Jenkins Avenue
             North Charleston, South Carolina 29405
             Attention: Jerry Zucker, Chairman, President and CEO
                        James G. Boyd, Executive Vice President, Treasurer & CFO

or to such other address or to the attention of such other person as the
recipient party has specified by prior written notice to the sending party.

         18. ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Agreement, together with the Plan,
constitutes the entire understanding between you and the Company, and supersedes
all other agreements, whether written or oral, with respect to the acquisition
by you of these shares of Common Stock of the Company.


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         Please execute the extra copy of this Agreement in the space below and
return it in a confidential envelope to Charlotte Crosby at the Corporate Office
to confirm your understanding and acceptance of this Agreement.

                                             Very truly yours,

                                             POLYMER GROUP, INC.


                                             BY:
                                                -------------------------------
                                                      Jerry Zucker
                                                      Chairman, President & CEO


Enclosures:                1.       Extra copy of this Agreement
                           2.       Copy of the Plan

         The undersigned hereby acknowledges having read this Agreement and the
Plan and hereby agrees to be bound by all provisions set forth herein and in the
Plan.

Dated as of ________________, 2001.

                                             OPTIONEE


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