EXHIBIT  10(o)  Employment  Agreement  dated  March 30, 1992 and  Amendments  to
Employment  Agreement  dated  February 4, 1997 and December 28, 1998 between the
Registrant and Ronald Swedin


                            EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT


         THIS AGREEMENT,  made and entered into this 30th day of March, 1992, by
and between One Price Clothing  Stores,  Inc., a Delaware  corporation  with its
principal place of business in Spartanburg County,  South Carolina,  hereinafter
referred to as "Employer," and Ron Swedin, a resident of Bloomingdale,  State of
New Jersey, hereinafter referred to as "Employee."

                              W I T N E S S E T H :

         For and in  consideration  of the mutual  covenants and promises of the
parties  hereto and the  benefits  inuring to the parties  hereto,  Employer and
Employee agrees as follows:

         1.  EMPLOYMENT.  Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement,
employer  employs  Employee as its Vice President of Stores and Employee accepts
such  employment with Employer.  The employment  hereunder shall commence on the
date Employee reports for full time work, and shall continue until terminated as
hereinafter provided.

         2. TERMINATION. The employment hereunder shall terminate at the will of
either party at any time, with or without cause, or upon the mutual agreement of
the parties hereto.

         3. DUTIES OF EMPLOYEE.  Employee shall serve Employer faithfully and to
the best of his ability.  Employee shall devote his full time and efforts to his
duties as an employee of Employer.

         4.       COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS.

                  (a) Salary.  For all services  rendered to Employer under this
Agreement,  Employer  shall pay  Employee an annual base salary of not less than
$160,000,  subject  to annual  review,  payable  in  bi-weekly  installments  in
accordance  with the  usual  payroll  practice  of  Employer,  less all  legally
required deductions.

                  (b)  Bonus.  In  addition  to the above  salary,  the Board of
Directors of Employer,  in its sole discretion,  may award to Employee an annual
bonus in  accordance  with a bonus  plan that has been  adopted  by the Board of
Directors.  Employee shall be entitled to a first year minimum bonus of $16,000,
provided Employee is actively employed by Employer at January 31, 1993.

                  (c) Special Stock Option.  Employee shall be granted an option
for 15,000 shares of  Employer's  common stock at the market price on the day of
grant,  exercisable twenty (20%) percent annually  commencing twelve (12) months
from the day of grant.
This option shall be granted on the day Employee reports for fulltime work.

                  (d) Automobile.  Employer shall provide  Employee with the use
of an automobile,  with a value not to exceed $25,000.00. In addition,  Employer
agrees to take care of maintenance,  insurance, gas and oil, etc. Adjustment for
personal use shall be accounted for under  appropriate  Internal Revenue Service
Regulations.

                  (e)      Other Benefits.

                           (i)      During the term of his employment, Employee 
shall be entitled to participate in all employee benefits  as are  customarily  
provided  to its  officers  by  Employer,  and to
participate  in  such  other  employee  benefits  as may  from  time  to time be
instituted by Employer's Board of Directors.

                           (ii)     Employee shall also be entitled to 
reimbursement of all reasonable hotel, travel, entertainment 
and other  business  expenses  actually  incurred  by  Employee in the course of
Employee's employment upon submission to Employer of satisfactory  documentation
thereof.

                  (f)    Moving Expenses. Employer shall reimburse Employee for:

                           (i)      Employer agrees to reimburse Employee for 
air travel up to six (6) round trip airline tickets, other than first-class, to 
and from  Greenville/Spartanburg,  SC/New York, NY or Newark, NJ.

                           (ii)  Transportation  of household goods and effects,
and not more than two (2) automobiles.

                           (iii)    Upon reporting for work Employer agrees to 
reimburse Employee for up to three (3) months for the cost of interim living 
expenses, such reimbursement to cover lodging only. Total
cost of interim living expenses not to exceed $2,500.

                           (iv)     Employer agrees to reimburse Employee for 
lodging, meals, etc., for a maximum of three (3) trips, which includes the 
actual moving event.

                  (g) Employer  shall pay  Employee up to $30,000 of  documented
expenses for brokerage fees, closing costs, double mortgage payments and any and
all  other  related  relocation  expenses.   This  payment  will  be  made  upon
presentation of documentation on or after the first day of employment.

                  (h)  Payments  Upon  Termination.  In the  event  Employee  is
terminated  by  Employer,  with our  without  cause,  except for  fraud,  theft,
dishonesty  or  criminal  intent,  Employer  shall  continue  Employee's  salary
following  Employee's  termination  for six (6) additional  months at the annual
base  salary  in  effect  at the  date of  Employee's  termination,  payable  in
accordance  with  Employer's  usual  payroll  practices.  In the event  Employee
voluntarily  terminates his employment with Employer, he shall be entitled to no
additional  payment upon such termination other than any then accrued but unpaid
salary, vacation pay, or other normal reimbursement items. In the event Employee
shall  voluntarily  terminate his  employment  with Employer  prior to his first
anniversary of employment, Employee shall reimburse Employer fifty (50%) percent
of payments  received for moving expenses and relocation  expense  reimbursement
set forth in paragraph (f) and paragraph (g) above.

         5.  CONFIDENTIAL  INFORMATION.  Employee  acknowledges  that during his
employment  he will have access to  confidential  information  belonging  to the
Employer.  Such  confidential  information  shall  consist  of  all  information
disclosed to Employee as a result of employment by Employer not generally  known
in the  retail  business  in which  Employer  is engaged  including  information
concerning  Employer's suppliers,  including the costs,  quantities and types of
goods supplied,  and the identity of such suppliers;  information concerning the
Employer's  marketing  and/or sales strategy or plans;  real estate strategy and
expansion plans;  all pricing  information  relating to merchandise  offered for
sale by Employer;  customers' list and all  information  dealing with customers'
needs or preferences; all data processing information; all financial information
including financial statements,  financing plans and forecasts,  and any and all
information  designated  or marked  as  confidential.  Employee  will not use or
disclose,  or otherwise make  available,  such  confidential  information to any
other person or entity without prior express written consent of Employer, either
during or following the termination of Employee's  employment.  Upon termination
of  employment,  Employee  shall turn over to Employer all property  then in his
possession  or custody  belonging to Employer and shall not retain any copies or
reproductions  of  correspondence,   memoranda,  reports,  notebooks,  drawings,
photographs, or other documents relating in any way to the affairs of Employer.

         6.       NON-COMPETITION.

                  (a) Upon  termination of Employee's  employment with Employer,
whether  voluntary or involuntary  and whether with our without cause,  Employee
will not for a period of three (3) years from date of such  termination  conduct
or engage in, directly or indirectly, alone or jointly, with any other person or
corporation as agent,  consultant,  employee,  manager,  purchaser,  proprietor,
stockholder, co-partner, or otherwise, any type of retail apparel business which
uses the one price concept or a substantially similar concept, such as a ceiling
price point. This restriction applies to the continental United States.

                  (b) Employee  agrees not to employ or cause to be employed any
other  employee  of Employer  for a period of three (3) years  after  Employee's
termination  of  employment.  This  restriction  applies to any type of business
which Employee may enter.

         7.  NOTICES.  All  notices,  consents,  changes  of  address  and other
communications (hereinafter referred to as "Notice(s)") required or permitted to
be made under the terms of this  Agreement  shall be in writing and shall be (i)
personally  delivered by an agent of the relevant Party, or (ii)  transmitted by
postage prepaid, certified or registered mail:

                           To Employer:          One Price Clothing Stores, Inc.
                                                 Post Office Box 2487
                                                 Spartanburg, SC  29304

                           To Employee:          Ron Swedin
                                                 Bloomingdale, NJ

         8. WAIVER OF BREACH.  The waiver of Employer of a breach by Employee of
any provision of this Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of
any  subsequent  breach by Employee.  No waiver shall be valid unless in writing
and signed by any authorized officer of Employer.

         9. ASSIGNMENT.  Employee  acknowledges that the services to be rendered
by Employee are unique and personal. Accordingly, Employee may not assign any of
Employee's rights or delegate any of Employee's duties or obligations under this
Agreement.  The rights and  obligations of Employer  under this Agreement  shall
inure to the benefit of and all be binding upon the Employer, and its successors
and assigns.

         10. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. Employee represents and warrants to
Employer  that he is under no  obligation  to or bound by any contract  with any
person, corporation or other entity which would prohibit or in any way interfere
with the  performance  of his  duties and  obligations  to  Employer  under this
Agreement.

         11.  SEVERABILITY.  If any  provision  of this  Agreement as applied to
either party or to any  circumstance  shall be adjudged by a court to be invalid
or  unenforceable,  the same shall in no way affect any other  provision of this
Agreement,   or  the  application  of  each  provision  to  any  other  fact  or
circumstances.

         12.  ENTIRE  AGREEMENT,  MODIFICATION  OR  AMENDMENTS.  This  Agreement
constitutes  the entire  agreement  of the parties  with  respect to its subject
matter and supersedes all prior oral or written  agreements.  This Agreement may
be modified or amended from time to time by the mutual  agreement of the parties
hereto.  No  modification  or amendment of this Agreement  shall be binding upon
either  party  unless it is in writing and  executed  by the party  sought to be
charged.

         13.      COUNTERPARTS.    This Agreement may be executed in one or more
counterparts, all of which taken together shall constitute one instrument.

         14.      CAPTIONS.         The captions contained in this Agreement are
for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or 
interpretation of this Agreement.

         15. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of South  Carolina,  without giving effect
to South  Carolina's  rules of conflicts of law, and  regardless of the place or
places of its physical execution and performance.

         16.  ENFORCEMENT.  This  Agreement  may only be  enforced in a court of
competent jurisdiction in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Employee agrees to
submit to the  jurisdiction of a court of competent  jurisdiction in Spartanburg
County,  South  Carolina,  whether or not then residing in South  Carolina.  The
prevailing  party shall be entitled to recover  from the other party the cost of
any court action, including reasonable attorneys fees.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as
of the date first above written.

Witnesses:                                 One Price Clothing Stores, Inc.
/s/ Diane O'Bryant                         By:    /s/ Henry D. Jacobs, Jr.
                                                  Henry D. Jacobs, Jr.
                                                  Chairman of Board of Directors
                                                  (seal)

As to Employer
                                   "EMPLOYER"
/s/ J. Coursen                     /s/ Ron Swedin                       
As to Employee                     Ron Swedin   (seal)
                                   "EMPLOYEE"

         First Amendment to Employment Agreement Dated March 30, 1992 by
           And between One Price Clothing Stores, Inc. and Ron Swedin

On March 30,  1992 Ron Swedin  ("Mr.  Swedin"  or  "Employee")  entered  into an
employment contract (the "Agreement") with One Price Clothing Stores, Inc. ("One
Price" or  "Employer").  The Agreement  provides for payments  upon  termination
under the first sentence in section 4.(h) as follows:

         "In the event  Employee  is  terminated  by  Employer,  with or without
cause,  except for fraud, theft,  dishonesty or criminal intent,  Employer shall
continue  Employee's  salary  following  Employee's   termination  for  six  (6)
additional  months at the annual base salary in effect at the date of Employee's
termination, payable in accordance with Employer's usual payroll practices."

Employer  and  Employee  wish to amend  this  forgoing  provision  by adding the
following sentence  immediately after such first sentence in Section 4(h) of the
Agreement:

         In  addition,  in the  event  Employee  has not taken a  position  with
another Company by the end of six months from the date of Employee's involuntary
termination,  Employer  shall pay to Employee up to an additional six (6) months
salary  continuation  on a bi-weekly  basis so long as other  employment has not
begun."

Except  provided for herein by the  foregoing  amendment,  the  Agreement  shall
continue unchanged and in full force and effect.

IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of this
4th day of February, 1997.

Witness:                                    One Price Clothing Stores, Inc.

/s/  Dianne O'Bryant                        By:  /s/ Henry D. Jacobs, Jr.
                                                 Henry D. Jacobs, Jr.
                                                 Chairman, President and C.E.O.
                                                   `EMPLOYER"

/S/  Patti S. Taylor                             /s/ Ron Swedin
                                                 Ron Swedin
                                                  "EMPLOYEE"

          Amendment to Employment Agreement Dated March 30, 1992, as Previously
                         Amended as of February 4, 1997.

     Reference is made to the Employment  Agreement  dated as of March 30, 1992,
as amended on February 4, 1997  ("Agreement")  by and between One Price Clothing
Stores, Inc.  ("Employer") and Ron Swedin ("Employee").  The Agreement is hereby
amended  to  add  the  following  new  provisions  relating  to  termination  of
employment  by Employee  for "good  reason"  following a "Change of Control" (as
hereinafter defined).

     1. The following new Section 4 (i) is added to the Agreement:

     4. (i). Change of Control - In the event the Employee's employment with the
Company is terminated by the Employer without Cause, or for "Good Reason" by the
Employee,  within  24  months  after a  "Change  of  Control"  of  Employer  (an
"Employment  Event"),  then Employer shall pay to Employee,  in one lump sum, an
amount  equal to fifteen  (15) months  severance  pay rather than the maximum of
twelve  (12) months  severance  pay  currently  provided  for in the  Agreement.
Termination for "Good Reason" shall be deemed to have occurred, and the Employee
shall be entitled to the benefits of this provision, if the Employee voluntarily
terminates his employment after 30 days written notice to Employer and following
the  occurrence of any of the following  events,  provided a "Change of Control"
has occurred: (i) the assignment to the Employee of any duties inconsistent with
the  highest  position   (including  status,   offices,   titles  and  reporting
requirements),  authority,  duties or responsibilities  attained by the Employee
during  the  period of his  employment  with the  Employer  or any action by the
Employer which results in a material  diminishment in such position,  authority,
duties or responsibilities as were in effect immediately prior to the "Change of
Control"; (ii) a decrease in the Employee's compensation (including base salary,
bonus or fringe  benefits);  (iii)  relocation  by Employer of the Employee more
than 50 miles outside of the Greenville/Spartanburg  area of South Carolina; or,
(iv) failure of any successor of the Employer to comply with this Agreement.  In
consideration  for the benefits  conferred to Employee under this provision,  in
the absence of an Employment  Event Employee  agrees to continue his employment,
following a "Change of Control," for a minimum period of six months.

In addition,  should a "Change of Control"  occur,  all stock options granted by
Employer  to  Employee,  and not yet  expired as of the date of such  "Change of
Control,"  shall  become  immediately  exercisable.  In such  event,  the normal
expiration date shall apply to such options,  provided,  however,  that Employee
shall  have 90  days to  exercise  such  options  in the  event  of  termination
following an Employment Event.

For  purposes  hereof,  "Change  of  Control"  shall be deemed to have  occurred
following either of the following two events:

(i)          A change in the Board of Directors of the Company,  with the result
             that the members of the Board,  as elected by the  stockholders  of
             the Company on June 10,  1998  ("Incumbent  Directors"),  no longer
             constitute a majority of such Board,  provided  that any person who
             becomes a director and whose  appointment or election was supported
             by a majority of the  Incumbent  Directors  shall be  considered an
             Incumbent Director for purposes hereof; or,

(ii)         The  occurrence  of a Section 11 (a) (ii) Event,  as defined in the
             Shareholder  Rights  Agreement,  dated  November  3, 1994,  between
             Wachovia  Bank of  North  Carolina,  N.A.,  as  Rights  Agent,  and
             Employer ("Rights  Agreement"),  provided,  however, that for these
             purposes the applicable percentage for a Change of Control to arise
             from a  change  in  stock  ownership  shall  be 40%  and not 20% as
             provided for in the Rights Agreement.

This Amendment shall be binding upon any successor to the Company.

Except as provided for herein by the foregoing  amendment,  the Agreement  shall
continue unchanged in full force and effect.

IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties hereto have executed this Amendment as of this
28 day of December, 1998.


One Price Clothing Stores, Inc.                           Ron Swedin


/s/ Larry I. Kelley                                       /s/ Ron Swedin
By:  Larry I. Kelley                                      "EMPLOYEE"
Its:  President & CEO
"EMPLOYER