EXHIBIT 10.5.3

                      AMENDMENT #3 TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT


            This AMENDMENT #3 (this  "Amendment") is entered into as of the 10th
day of March,  2000, by and between ANNTAYLOR STORES CORPORATION (the "Company")
and J. PATRICK  SPAINHOUR  ("Executive"),  and amends the  Employment  Agreement
between  the  Company  and the  Executive,  dated as of  February  16,  1996 and
effective  as of  February  19,  1996,  as  amended  to  date  (the  "Employment
Agreement").

            For good and valuable consideration,  the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged by the parties, the Company and Executive agree as
follows:

1. All  capitalized  terms used and not defined  herein  shall have the meanings
ascribed to them in the Employment Agreement.

2. Section  7(d)(2) of the  Employment  Agreement  is hereby  amended to read as
follows:

            "(2) (A) unless clause (B) below applies, then following the Date of
      Termination and for the longer of the remaining Term of this Agreement and
      the Severance  Period,  the Company shall pay to the Executive  monthly an
      amount equal to the  Severance  Payments  (as defined in Section  7(a)(ii)
      hereof),  or (B) in the event the Date of Termination  occurs  following a
      Change  in  Control,  then,  within  five  (5)  days  after  the  Date  of
      Termination,  the  Company  shall  pay to the  Executive  in a lump sum an
      amount equal to the product of (x) the sum of the Executive's  base salary
      at the rate in effect as of the Date of Termination and the average of the
      annual  bonuses  earned by the  Executive in the three fiscal years of the
      Company ended immediately prior to the Date of Termination (or, if higher,
      in the three fiscal years of the Company  ended  immediately  prior to the
      Change in Control) multiplied by (y) the number three (3). For purposes of
      this  subsection  (2): (i) if the Date of Termination  occurs prior to the
      occurrence  of a Change in Control but during the  pendency of a Potential
      Change in Control (as hereinafter defined), such Date of Termination shall
      be deemed  to have  occurred  following  a Change  in  Control  and (ii) a
      "Potential  Change in  Control"  shall be deemed to have  occurred  if the
      event set forth in any one of the following clauses shall have occurred:

               (1) the Company  enters into an agreement,  the  consummation  of
         which would result in the occurrence of a Change in Control;

               (2) the Company or any Person (as  defined in Section  6(d)(2)(A)
         hereof)  publicly  announces an intention to take or to consider taking
         actions which, if consummated, would constitute a Change in Control;


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               (3) any Person becomes the  beneficial  owner (as defined in Rule
         13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of
         the Company  representing 15% of or more of either the then outstanding
         shares of common stock of the Company or the  combined  voting power of
         the  Company's  then  outstanding  securities  (not  including  in  the
         securities  beneficially  owned by such Person any securities  acquired
         directly from the Company); or

               (4) the  Board  adopts  a  resolution  to the  effect  that,  for
         purposes  of this  subsection  (2), a  Potential  Change in Control has
         occurred.


            3. Section 7(d)(3) of the Employment  Agreement is hereby amended to
read as follows:

         (3)the  Executive  shall  continue to be provided with the same medical
            and life  insurance  coverage  as existed  immediately  prior to the
            applicable  Notice of Termination  or Notice of  Nonrenewal,  as the
            case may be, such  coverage to continue  throughout  the period with
            respect to which the  Executive  is  entitled  to receive  Severance
            Payments (or, if clause (B) of Section 7(d)(2) applies, for a period
            of three (3) years following the Date of Termination);


            4.  Section  7(d) of the  Employment  Agreement  is  hereby  further
amended by adding a new subsection (5) to read as follows:

         (5)the  Executive  shall  be  entitled  to  continue  to  exercise  all
            outstanding  options  that  were  exercisable  as  of  the  Date  of
            Termination  until the 90th day  following  expiration of the period
            with respect to which the Executive is entitled to receive Severance
            Payments (or, if clause (B) of Section  7(d)(2)  applies,  following
            the third  anniversary of the Date of Termination),  but in no event
            after expiration of the term of such options."


            5. The first  sentence  of  paragraph  5(c) of  Amendment  #2 to the
Employment  Agreement,  dated  August  12,  1999,  is hereby  amended to read as
follows:  "The Executive shall be awarded an additional 25,000 restricted shares
under the Option Plan on March 10, 2000."


            6. From and after the date hereof,  the term  "Agreement" as used in
the Employment Agreement, shall mean the Employment Agreement as amended through
the date hereof, and the Employment Agreement,  as so amended, shall continue in
full force and effect.

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            7.  Sections 13 through 17 of the  Employment  Agreement  are hereby
made a part of, and are incorporated by this reference into, this Amendment.


            IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties have executed this Amendment as of
the 10th day of March, 2000.


ANNTAYLOR STORES CORPORATION


By:  /s/ Robert C. Grayson                      /s/ J. Patrick Spainhour
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         Robert C. Grayson, Director                J. PATRICK SPAINHOUR