Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                 Delta Woodside Industries and Delta Mills, Inc.
                  Announce Modified Dutch Auction Tender Offer
                  For Delta Mills 9 5/8% Senior Notes due 2007
                        And Closing of Maiden, N.C. Plant

Delta Woodside Industries, Inc.
CONTACT:      William H. Hardman, Jr.

Greenville, SC, March 5, 2003 - Delta Woodside Industries, Inc. (NYSE: DLW) and
its wholly-owned subsidiary Delta Mills, Inc. today announced that Delta Mills
has commenced a "Modified Dutch Auction" tender offer for a portion of its
outstanding 9 5/8% Senior Notes due 2007.

Delta Mills is inviting holders to submit offers to sell notes, at a price
determined by each holder, within a range of $750 to $790 per $1,000 principal
amount upon the terms and conditions specified in the Offer to Purchase dated
March 5, 2003. Holders whose notes are accepted for purchase will also receive
accrued and unpaid interest on those notes upon consummation of the tender
offer.

The tender offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 2, 2003,
unless extended or earlier terminated (the "Expiration Date"). Tenders of notes
may be made or withdrawn at any time prior to the Expiration Date.

Delta Mills is making the tender offer by way of a "Modified Dutch Auction"
procedure. Under this procedure, Delta Mills will accept notes offered for sale
in the following order: first, offers to sell notes at $750 per $1,000 principal
amount and continuing with offers to sell notes in order of increasing offer
price, until Delta Mills has spent (at the Clearing Price described below)
approximately $15.8 million (excluding accrued interest). Delta Mills will pay
to all holders whose offers are accepted the highest price offered for notes
that are accepted for purchase by Delta Mills (the "Clearing Price"), even if
that price is higher than the price offered by such holder. If the aggregate
principal amount of notes offered at the Clearing Price exceeds the maximum
principal amount of notes that may be accepted by Delta Mills at the Clearing
Price under the foregoing procedure, acceptances of offers at the Clearing Price
will be allocated among such notes on a pro rata basis according to the
principal amount so offered. The offer will be funded by borrowings under Delta
Mills' revolving credit facility. Consummation of the tender offer is subject to
the satisfaction of certain conditions described in the Offer to Purchase.

The terms and conditions of the tender offer are set forth in Delta Mills' Offer
to Purchase dated March 5, 2003. This press release is not an offer to purchase,
a solicitation of an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell any
notes. The offer may only be made pursuant to the terms of the Offer to Purchase
and related Letter of Transmittal.

Banc of America Securities LLC is the exclusive dealer manager, The Bank of New
York is the depositary, and D.F. King & Co., Inc. is the information agent in
connection with the tender offer. Copies of the Offer to Purchase and related
offer documents may be obtained from the information agent at 800-967-7921 (toll
free) or 212-269-5550 (collect). Additional information concerning the terms of
the tender offer may be obtained by contacting Banc of America Securities LLC at
888-292-0070 (toll free) or 704-388-2842 (collect).

The Company also announced today the closing of its Catawba Plant, a yarn only
facility located in Maiden N. C. The closing is consistent with the Company's
mission of cost reductions to remain competitive in today's world market. The
plant closing will not affect the weaving and finishing capacity of the Company.
The Company is currently negotiating with yarn producers to outsource the
Company's yarn requirements previously satisfied by the plant. The Company
projects that it will incur third quarter costs in the range of $400,000 to
$500,000 for asset impairments and closing costs.

Bill Garrett, President and CEO commented, "This is a very difficult decision
that we regret having to make; however, we can no longer justify keeping this
facility open. The 112 associates displaced by this move have been loyal and
dedicated employees and will be missed. We are working to place as many of these
people as possible in our other facilities and with other employers in the
area."

The preceding discussion contains certain "forward-looking statements". These
statements are based on the expectations of Delta Woodside and Delta Mills and
are necessarily dependent upon assumptions, estimates and data that they believe
are reasonable and accurate but may be incorrect, incomplete or imprecise.
Forward-looking statements are also subject to a number of business risks and
uncertainties, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from
those set forth in or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and
uncertainties include, among others, changes in the retail demand for apparel
products, the cost of raw materials, competitive conditions in the apparel and
textile industries, the relative strength of the United States dollar as against
other currencies, changes in United States trade regulations and the discovery
of unknown conditions (such as with respect to environmental matters and similar
items). Accordingly, any forward-looking statements do not purport to be
predictions of future events or circumstances and may not be realized.

Delta Woodside Industries, Inc. is headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina.
Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Delta Mills, it manufactures and sells
textile products for the apparel industry. The Company employs about 1,600
people and operates five plants located in South Carolina.