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                                                                    Exhibit 5.1


                   [Letterhead of Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue]




                               November 12, 1997



Pillowtex Corporation
4111 Mint Way
Dallas, Texas  75237

               Re:  Registration of up to 5,600,000 Shares of Common Stock, par
                    value $.01 per share, of Pillowtex Corporation

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We have acted as special counsel to Pillowtex Corporation, a Texas
corporation ("Pillowtex"), in connection with the issuance of up to 5,600,000
shares (the "Shares") of common stock, par value $.01 per share, of Pillowtex
in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of
Merger, dated as of September 10, 1997 (the "Merger Agreement"), by and among
Pillowtex, Pegasus Merger Sub, Inc., and Fieldcrest Cannon, Inc.

         We have examined such documents, records, and matters of law as we
have deemed necessary for purposes of this opinion. Based on such examination
and on the assumptions set forth below, we are of the opinion that, when the
Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Registration Statement No. 333-36663) (the
"Registration Statement") filed by Pillowtex to effect registration of the
Shares under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, has been declared
effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Shares have been
issued and delivered in accordance with the terms and provisions of the
Agreements (as defined below) as contemplated by the Registration Statement,
the Shares will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid, and
nonassessable.

         In rendering this opinion, we have (i) assumed and have not
independently verified (a) that each agreement, document, or instrument
(collectively, the "Agreements") pursuant to which any of the Shares are to be
issued will at the time of such issuance have been duly authorized, executed,
and delivered by the parties thereto and will constitute a valid, binding, and
enforceable obligation of such parties, (b) that all signatures on all
certificates and other documents examined by us are genuine, and that, where
any such signature purports to have been made in a corporate, governmental or
other capacity, the person who affixed such signature to such certificate or
other document had authority to do so, and (c) the authenticity of all
documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to original documents
of all documents submitted to us as copies, (ii) as to certain factual matters,
relied upon certificates of public officials and of Pillowtex and its officers
and upon the representations and warranties set forth in the Agreements and
have not independently checked or verified the accuracy of the factual
statements contained therein, and (iii) assumed that the parties to the
Agreements will comply with the provisions thereof. In addition, our
examination of matters of law has been limited to the Texas Business
Corporation Act and the federal laws of the United States of America, in each
case as in effect on the date hereof.
    



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Pillowtex Corporation
November 12, 1997
Page 2


   
         We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the
Registration Statement and to the reference to us under the caption "Legal
Matters" in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus constituting a part of the
Registration Statement.

                                         Very truly yours,

                                         /s/ Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue

                                         Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue