EXHIBIT 10.28

                 SIXTH AMENDMENT TO LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT


           THIS  SIXTH   AMENDMENT   TO  LOAN  AND  SECURITY   AGREEMENT   (this
"Amendment")  is made and entered  into this 28th day of October,  1999,  by and
between  TROPICAL   SPORSTWEAR   INT'L   CORPORATION,   a  Florida   corporation
("Tropical"),   TROPICAL  SPORTSWEAR  COMPANY,   INC.,  a  Delaware  corporation
("TSCI"),  SAVANE  INTERNATIONAL  CORP., a Texas corporation  (formerly known as
Farah  Incorporated)  ("Savane"),  and APPAREL  NETWORK  CORPORATION,  a Florida
corporation  ("Apparel")  (Tropical,   TSCI,  Savane  and  Apparel  collectively
referred to hereinafter as "Borrowers" and  individually  as a "Borrower")  each
with its chief  executive  office and  principal  place of business at 4902 West
Waters Avenue,  Tampa,  Florida 33634-1302;  the various financial  institutions
listed on the  signature  pages  hereof  and  their  respective  successors  and
permitted  assigns which become  "Lenders" as provided in the Loan Agreement (as
defined below); and FLEET CAPITAL  CORPORATION,  a Rhode Island corporation,  in
its capacity as collateral and  administrative  agent for the Lenders  (together
with its  successors in such  capacity,  "Agent") with an office at 300 Galleria
Parkway, N.W., Suite 800, Atlanta, Georgia 30339.

Recitals:

           Borrowers,  Agent and  Lenders,  are  parties  to a certain  Loan and
Security  Agreement  dated  June 10,  1998,  as amended  by that  certain  First
Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated July 9, 1998, that certain Second
Amendment to Loan and  Security  Agreement  dated August 27, 1998,  that certain
Third  Amendment to Loan and Security  Agreement  dated December 31, 1998,  that
certain Fourth Amendment to Loan and Security  Agreement dated May 21, 1999, and
that certain Fifth Amendment to Loan and Security  Agreement dated July 16, 1999
(as at any time amended,  the "Loan Agreement"),  pursuant to which Lenders have
made  certain  revolving  credit  loans and letter of credit  accommodations  to
Borrowers.

           Borrower's have requested that Agent and Lenders  increase the amount
of  documentary  letters  of  credit  available  to  Borrowers  under  the  Loan
Agreement.

           Agent and  Lenders  are  willing to amend the Loan  Agreement  on the
terms and conditions as hereinafter set forth.

           NOW, THEREFORE,  for TEN DOLLARS ($10.00) in hand paid and other good
and  valuable  consideration,  the receipt and  sufficiency  of which are hereby
severally  acknowledged,  the  parties  hereto,  intending  to be legally  bound
hereby, agree as follows:

           1. Definitions.  All capitalized terms used in this Amendment, unless
otherwise  defined herein,  shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the
Loan Agreement.

           2.         Amendment to Loan Agreement.  The Loan Agreement is hereby
amended as follows:

           (a)        By deleting the definition of "LC Conditions" in Section 1
of the  Loan  Agreement  and by  substituting  the  following definition in lieu
thereof:
                           LC  Conditions  -  the  following   conditions,   the
                  satisfaction  of each of which is required  before Fleet shall
                  be obligated to join in the execution of an LC  Application in
                  connection with a request to Bank for the issuance of a Letter
                  of Credit:  (i) each of the conditions set forth in Section 11
                  of this  Agreement  has been and  continues  to be  satisfied,
                  including the absence of any Default or Event of Default; (ii)
                  after giving effect to the issuance of the requested Letter of
                  Credit and all other  unissued  Letters of Credit for which an
                  LC Application  has been signed by Fleet,  the LC Outstandings
                  would not exceed in the aggregate  $30,000,000 with respect to
                  documentary  Letters of Credit or  $5,000,000  with respect to
                  standby  Letters  of Credit  and no  Out-of-Formula  Condition
                  would exist, and, if no Revolver Loans are outstanding, the LC
                  Outstandings  do not  exceed  the  Borrowing  Base;  (iii) the
                  expiry date of the Letter of Credit does not extend beyond the
                  earlier to occur of 365 days from the date of  issuance or the
                  30th day prior to the last Business Day of the Committed Term;
                  and (iv) the currency in which payment is to be made under the
                  Letter of Credit is Dollars.

           (b)        By deleting the definition of "LC Facility"  in  Section 1
of the  Loan  Agreement and  by  substituting  the following  definition in lieu
thereof:
                           LC Facility - a subfacility of the Revolver  Facility
                  consisting of LC  Outstandings  in an aggregate  amount not to
                  exceed $35,000,000.

           3. Acknowledgments and Stipulations.  Each Borrower  acknowledges and
stipulates that the Loan Agreement and the other Loan Documents executed by such
Borrower are legal,  valid and binding  obligations  of such  Borrower  that are
enforceable  against such Borrower in accordance with the terms thereof;  all of
the Obligations are owing and payable  without  defense,  offset or counterclaim
(and to the extent there exists any such defense,  offset or counterclaim on the
date hereof, the same is hereby waived by each Borrower); the security interests
and liens granted by each Borrower in favor of Agent are duly  perfected,  first
priority security interests and liens.

           4.  Representations  and  Warranties.  Each Borrower  represents  and
warrants to Agent and  Lenders,  to induce  Agent and Lenders to enter into this
Amendment,  that no Default or Event of Default  exists on the date hereof;  the
execution,  delivery and performance of this Amendment have been duly authorized
by all  requisite  corporate  action  on the  part of  such  Borrower  and  this
Amendment has been duly executed and delivered by such Borrowers; and all of the
representations  and warranties made by Borrowers in the Loan Agreement are true
and  correct  on  and  as  of  the  date  hereof,   except  to  the  extent  any
representation or warranty specifically relates to an earlier date.

           5. Expenses of Agent.  Borrowers  jointly and severally agree to pay,
on demand,  all costs and  expenses  incurred  by Agent in  connection  with the
preparation,  negotiation  and  execution of this  Amendment  and any other Loan
Documents  executed  pursuant hereto and any and all amendments,  modifications,
and supplements thereto, including, without limitation, the reasonable costs and
fees of Agent's  legal  counsel  and any taxes or  expenses  associated  with or
incurred in connection  with any  instrument or agreement  referred to herein or
contemplated hereby.

           6.  Effectiveness;  Governing Law. This Amendment  shall be effective
upon  acceptance  by Agent and  Lenders  in  Atlanta,  Georgia  (notice of which
acceptance  is hereby  waived),  whereupon  the same  shall be  governed  by and
construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Georgia.

           7.  Successors and Assigns.  This Amendment shall be binding upon and
inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their  respective  successors and
assigns.

           8. No Novation,  etc.. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
Amendment,  nothing  herein shall be deemed to amend or modify any  provision of
the Loan  Agreement  or any of the other  Loan  Documents,  each of which  shall
remain in full force and effect. This Amendment is not intended to be, nor shall
it be construed to create, a novation or accord and  satisfaction,  and the Loan
Agreement as herein modified shall continue in full force and effect.

           9.  Counterparts;   Telecopied  Signatures.  This  Amendment  may  be
executed  in any  number  of  counterparts  and by  different  parties  to  this
Agreement on separate  counterparts,  each of which, when so executed,  shall be
deemed an original,  but all such counterparts shall constitute one and the same
agreement. Any signature delivered by a party by facsimile transmission shall be
deemed to be an original signature hereto.

           10.  Further  Assurances.  Each Borrower  agrees to take such further
actions  as Agent and  Lenders  shall  reasonably  request  from time to time in
connection  herewith  to evidence  or give  effect to the  amendments  set forth
herein or any of the transactions contemplated hereby.

           11.  Section  Titles.  Section  titles  and  references  used in this
Amendment shall be without substantive meaning or content of any kind whatsoever
and are not a part of the agreements among the parties hereto.

           12. Release of Claims. To induce Agent and Lenders to enter into this
Amendment,  each Borrower hereby release,  acquits and forever  discharges Agent
and Lenders,  and all officers,  directors,  agents,  employees,  successors and
assigns of Agent and Lenders,  from any and all  liabilities,  claims,  demands,
actions or causes or  actions  of any kind or nature (if there be any),  whether
absolute or contingent, disputed or undisputed, at law or in equity, or known or
unknown,  that such  Borrower  now has or ever had  against  Agent  and  Lenders
arising under or in connection with any of the Loan Documents or otherwise.

           13.  Waiver  of  Jury  Trial.  To the  fullest  extent  permitted  by
applicable law, the parties hereto each hereby waives the right to trial by jury
in any action,  suit,  counterclaim  or proceeding  arising out of or related to
this Amendment.

           IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to
be duly executed under seal and delivered by their  respective  duly  authorized
officers on the date first written above.

                                    BORROWERS:

ATTEST:                             TROPICAL SPORTSWEAR INT'L CORPORATION


/s/ Regina Ifland
Assistant Secretary                 By:      /s/ N. Larry McPherson
[CORPORATE SEAL]                    Title:   Executive Vice President Finance
                                             & Administration


ATTEST:                             TROPICAL SPORTSWEAR COMPANY, INC.


/s/ Regina Ifland                   By:        /s/ N. Larry McPherson
Assistant Secretary
[CORPORATE SEAL]                    Title:    Executive Vice President Finance
                                              & Administration


ATTEST:                             SAVANE INTERNATIONAL CORP.
                                    (f/k/a Farah Incorporated)

/s/ Regina Ifland                   By:        /s/ N. Larry McPherson
Assistant Secretary
[CORPORATE SEAL]                    Title:    Executive Vice President Finance
                                              & Administration


ATTEST:                             APPAREL NETWORK CORPORATION

/s/ Regina Ifland
Assistant Secretary                 By:        /s/ N. Larry McPherson
[CORPORATE SEAL]                    Title:    Executive Vice President Finance
                                              & Administration



                                    LENDERS:

                                    FLEET CAPITAL CORPORATION


                                    By:        /s/ Elizabeth L. Waller

                                    Title:   Senior Vice President


                                    NATIONSBANC COMMERCIAL CORPORATION


                                    By:      /s/ Andrea Jackson

                                    Title:   Vice President


                                    FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK

                                    By:      /s/ John T. Trainor

                                    Title:   Vice President


                                    DEUTSCHE FINANCIAL SERVICES CORPORATION

                                    By:      /s/ Pamela D. Patrick

                                    Title:   Vice President


                                    AGENT:

                                    FLEET CAPITAL CORPORATION,
                                      as Agent



                                    By:        /s/ Elizabeth L. Waller

                                    Title:     Senior Vice President