EXHIBIT 10.6.2

                    AMENDMENT #2 TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
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      This  AMENDMENT  #2 (this  "Amendment")  is entered  into on this 12th
day of August,  1999,  by and  between  ANNTAYLOR  STORES  CORPORATION  (the
"Company")  and J.  PATRICK  SPAINHOUR  (the  "Executive"),  and  amends the
Employment  Agreement  between the Company  and the  Executive,  dated as of
February 16, 1996,  as  previously  amended by agreement  dated as of August
23, 1996 (as so amended, the "Employment Agreement").

      For good and valuable  consideration,  the receipt and  sufficiency of
which  are  hereby  acknowledged  by  the  parties,   the  Company  and  the
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. The first two  sentences of Section 2 of the  Employment  Agreement
are  hereby  amended  as of the date  hereof  to read in their  entirety  as
follows:

      The  term of  this  Agreement  shall  continue  through  May 31,
      2002,  unless further extended or sooner  terminated as provided
      in this  Agreement.  Commencing  on June  1,  2002,  and on each
      anniversary   of   such   date   thereafter   (each   date,   an
      "Anniversary  Date"),  the  term of the  Executive's  employment
      shall   automatically  be  extended  for  one  additional  year,
      unless  not  later  than six  months  prior to such  Anniversary
      Date,  either  party  shall  have  given  notice (a  "Nonrenewal
      Notice")  to the  other  party  that it does not which to extend
      this Agreement.


      3. Section  5(a)(i) of the  Employment  Agreement is hereby amended to
provide  that,  commencing  June 1, 1999,  Executive's  annual  base  salary
shall be increased to a rate of $850,000.


      4. Section  5(a)(ii) of the  Employment  Agreement  is hereby  amended
to increase  Executive's annual  Performance  Percentage under the Company's
Management  Performance  Compensation  Plan  to  80%,  commencing  with  the
Fiscal Year 1999 Performance Period under such plan.


      5.  (a)  The  Executive  is  hereby   awarded   twenty-five   thousand
(25,000)  restricted  shares of Company  Common  Stock  under the  Company's
1992 Stock  Option  and  Restricted  Stock and Unit Award Plan (the  "Option
Plan").   Executive's   rights  to  such   shares   shall   vest,   and  the
restrictions thereon shall lapse, on March 8, 2000.

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          (b)  The  Executive   shall  be  awarded  an   additional   25,000
restricted  shares  under  the  Option  Plan on March 8,  2000.  Executive's
rights to such 25,000  restricted  shares shall vest,  and the  restrictions
thereon  shall  lapse,  on March 8, 2001,  provided  that the Company  shall
have  achieved  at  least  110%  of  the  net  income  provided  for  in the
Company's  fiscal  year 2000  operating  budget as  approved by the Board of
Directors of the Company in the ordinary  course.  If the Company  shall not
have  achieved  at least 110% of  budgeted  net income for fiscal year 2000,
Executive's  rights to such  restricted  shares  shall  not  vest,  and such
restricted shares shall automatically be forfeited by Executive.

           (c)  The  Executive   shall  be  awarded  an  additional   25,000
restricted  shares  under  the  Option  Plan on March 8,  2001.  Executive's
rights to such 25,000  restricted  shares shall vest,  and the  restrictions
thereon  shall  lapse,  on March 8, 2002,  provided  that the Company  shall
have  achieved  at  least  110%  of  the  net  income  provided  for  in the
Company's  fiscal  year 2001  operating  budget as  approved by the Board of
Directors of the Company in the ordinary  course.  If the Company  shall not
have  achieved  at least 110% of  budgeted  net income for fiscal year 2001,
Executive's  rights to such  restricted  shares  shall  not  vest,  and such
restricted shares shall automatically be forfeited by Executive.

                (d) The Company  shall enter into a  Restricted  Stock Award
Agreement  with the  Executive  for each of the above  grants of  restricted
shares,  incorporating  the vesting  terms set forth  above with  respect to
each such grant,  and  otherwise  on the terms and  conditions  set forth in
the form of  Restricted  Stock Award  Agreement  previously  approved by the
Compensation  Committee  of the  Board of  Directors  for  restricted  stock
awards  under  the  Option  Plan,  including,  but  not  limited  to,  terms
providing  for  accelerated   exercisability   upon  the  occurrence  of  an
Acceleration Event (as defined in the Option Plan).


      6. (a)  Executive is hereby  awarded a  non-qualified  stock option to
purchase  250,000  shares of Common Stock under the Option  Plan,  having an
exercise price of $44.25.  Such option shall become  exercisable  commencing
March 8, 2002,  provided that Executive has remained  continuously  employed
by the  Company  through  such date.  The option  shall  contain  such other
terms  and  conditions  as are set  forth in the  Company's  standard  stock
option agreements applicable to "time-vesting" options,  including,  but not
limited  to,   accelerated   exercisability   upon  the   occurrence  of  an
Acceleration Event (as defined in the Option Plan).

          (b)   Executive  is  also  hereby   awarded  a   "super-incentive"
non-qualified  performance-vesting  stock option to purchase  100,000 shares
of  Common  Stock  under  the  Option  Plan,  having  an  exercise  price of
$44.25.  Such option shall become exercisable as follows:

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               (i)  50,000  of  the   option   shares   shall  vest  and  become
                    exercisable  on March 8,  2000,  if the  Company  shall have
                    achieved  earnings  per share for the fiscal year 1999 of at
                    least $***;

               (ii) the  remaining  50,000 of the option  shares  shall vest and
                    become  exercisable  on March 8, 2001,  if the Company shall
                    have achieved earnings per share for the fiscal year 2000 of
                    at least $***;

               (iii)if the Company shall not have  achieved the earnings  target
                    specified in clause (i) or (ii),  but the Company shall have
                    achieved  cumulative earnings per share aggregating at least
                    $*** for the three  fiscal  year  period  from  fiscal  1999
                    through  fiscal  2001,  then any option  shares that did not
                    vest  pursuant to clause (i) or (ii),  shall vest and become
                    exercisable on March 8, 2002; and

               (iv) any option shares that shall not have vested pursuant to any
                    of clauses (i),  (ii), or (iii) above by March 8, 2002 shall
                    lapse and such  portion  of the  option  shall be  canceled,
                    immediately upon determination thereof.

     The Company  shall enter into a Stock Option  Agreement  with the Executive
for the above stock  option  grant,  incorporating  the vesting  terms set forth
above, and otherwise  substantially on the terms and conditions set forth in the
form of the Company's standard Stock Option Agreement applicable to "performance
vesting" options previously approved by the Compensation  Committee of the Board
of Directors,  including,  but not limited to, terms  providing for  accelerated
exercisability  upon the occurrence of an Acceleration  Event (as defined in the
Option Plan).

     (c)  On  January  31,  2000,  Executive  shall  be  awarded  an  additional
          "super-incentive"  non-qualified  performance-vesting  stock option to
          purchase 100,000 shares of Common Stock under the Option Plan,  having
          an exercise  price equal to the Fair Market  Value of the Common Stock
          on the date of grant,  determined in accordance  with the Option Plan.
          Such option  shall  become  vested with  respect to 100% of the option
          shares,  on March 8, 2002,  provided  that (i) the Company  shall have
          achieved earnings per share for the fiscal year 2001 of at least $***,
          or the  Company  shall have  achieved  cumulative  earnings  per share
          aggregating at least $*** for the three fiscal year period from fiscal
          1999 through fiscal 2001, and (ii) Executive has remained continuously
          employed by the Company  through such date.  If the Company  shall not
          have achieved the earnings per share target for fiscal year 2001, such
          option shall lapse and be  canceled,  immediately  upon  determination
          thereof.  If the Fair Market  Value of the Common Stock on January 31,
          2000,  determined in accordance  with the Option Plan, is greater than
          $44.25, then the number of shares subject to the option to be granted

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          pursuant to this  section  shall be  increased to equal the product of
          100,000  multiplied by a fraction,  the numerator of which is the Fair
          Market  Value  of the  Common  Stock  on  January  31,  2000  and  the
          denominator of which is $44.25.


     The Company  shall enter into a Stock Option  Agreement  with the Executive
for such stock option  grant,  incorporating  the vesting terms set forth above,
and otherwise substantially on the terms and conditions set forth in the form of
the  Company's  standard  Stock  Option  Agreement  applicable  to  "performance
vesting" options previously approved by the Compensation  Committee of the Board
of Directors,  including,  but not limited to, terms  providing for  accelerated
exercisability  upon the occurrence of an Acceleration  Event (as defined in the
Option Plan).

      7.  (a) For  purposes  of  this  Amendment,  a  "fiscal  year"  of the
Company  shall  mean the fiscal  year  commencing  on the Sunday  closest to
January 31 in the year  mentioned  (for  example,  "fiscal  year 1999" means
the fiscal  year that  began on  February  2, 1999 and ends on  January  29,
2000).

           (b) For  purposes of  Sections  5(b) and 5(c),  net income  shall
mean  that net  income  set  forth  on the  Company's  audited  consolidated
operating statement for the fiscal year in question.

           (c) For  purposes of Sections  6(b) and 6(c),  earnings per share
shall mean the net  earnings  per share,  on a diluted  basis,  set forth on
the Company's audited  consolidated  operating statement for the fiscal year
in question.


      8. From and after the date  hereof,  the term  "Agreement"  as used in
the Employment  Agreement,  shall mean the  Employment  Agreement as amended
by this  Amendment,  and the  Employment  Agreement,  as so  amended,  shall
continue in full force and effect.

      9.  Sections  11 through  17 of the  Employment  Agreement  are hereby
made  a  part  of,  and  are  incorporated  by  this  reference  into,  this
Agreement.

      IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties have  executed this  Amendment  this
12th day of August, 1999.

ANNTAYLOR STORES CORPORATION              EXECUTIVE


By: /S/ Rochelle B. Lazarus               /s/ J. Patrick Spainhour
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        Rochelle B. Lazarus, Director         J. PATRICK SPAINHOUR



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