Exhibit 5

                Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.
                         Attorneys at Law
               101 North Tryon Street, Suite 1900      South Carolina Office
                 Charlotte, North Carolina 28246       The Guardian Building
                                                        223 E. Main Street,
                    Telephone (704) 377-2536                 Suite 600
                       Fax (704) 378-4000            Post Office Drawer 12070
                                                       Rock Hill, S.C. 29731

                                                     Telephone (803) 325-2900
                                                        Fax (803) 325-2929
                                April 25, 2001


Culp, Inc.
101 South Main Street
Post Office Box 2686
High Point, North Carolina 27261-2686

Re: Registration Statement on Form S-8 of Culp, Inc.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

      We have served as counsel to Culp,  Inc., a North  Carolina  corporation
(the  "Company"),  in  connection  with the  preparation  by the  Company of a
registration  statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration  Statement") for filing
with the Securities and Exchange  Commission under the Securities Act of 1933,
as  amended,  relating  to the offer and sale of up to  350,000  shares of the
Company's common stock, $.05 par value per share (the "Shares"),  to be issued
by the  Company  pursuant  to the  Culp,  Inc.  1993  Stock  Option  Plan (the
"Plan"),  and associated  rights to purchase Series A Participating  Preferred
Stock of the Company (the  "Rights")  issued  pursuant to a Rights  Agreement,
dated as of October 8, 1999 (the "Rights  Agreement")  between the Company and
Equiserve Trust Company, N.A., as Rights Agent.

      We have  examined  the Plan,  the  Rights  Agreement,  the  Articles  of
Incorporation of the Company and the amendments  thereto listed as exhibits to
the Registration  Statement (the  "Charter"),  the Restated and Amended Bylaws
of the  Company  listed  as an  exhibit  to the  Registration  Statement  (the
"Bylaws"),  and such other  corporate  and other  documents  and  records  and
certificates  of public  officials as we have deemed  necessary or appropriate
for the purposes of this opinion.

      We have assumed (i) the authority  and  genuineness  of all  signatures,
(ii) the legal capacity of all natural persons,  (iii) the authenticity of all
documents  submitted to us as originals,  and (iv) the conformity to authentic
original  documents of all documents  submitted to us as certified,  conformed
or photostatic copies.

      Based  upon  the  foregoing,  and  subject  to  the  qualifications  and
limitations set forth herein, we are of the opinion that:

            1.  The  Shares,  if and when  originally  issued  and sold by the
Company  pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Plan, and upon payment of
the  consideration,  if any,  payable  therefor  pursuant to the Plan, will be
legally  issued,  fully  paid and  nonassessable  and will  represent  validly
authorized and outstanding shares of common stock of the Company.

            2.  The Rights  associated with the Shares, if and when originally
issued by the  Company  pursuant  to the terms and  conditions  of the  Rights
Agreement,  will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable,  and will be
valid and binding obligations of the Company.

      We have assumed that the Company and those  officers and employees  that
may receive  options to purchase Shares under the Plan will have complied with
the relevant  requirements  of the Plan and that all  prescribed  filings with
regulatory  authorities,  including any stock exchanges  having  jurisdiction,
will be effected in accordance  with their  respective  requirements  and that
the approvals of such  regulatory  authorities,  including any stock exchanges
having  jurisdiction,  will have been granted  prior to the issuance of any of
the Shares or Rights.

      The  opinions  expressed  herein are  contingent  upon the  Registration
Statement  becoming  effective  under  the  Securities  Act of  1933  and  the
Charter,  Bylaws and Rights  Agreement not being further  amended prior to the
issuance of the Shares or Rights.

      The  foregoing  opinions  are  limited to the laws of the State of North
Carolina,  and we  express no  opinion  with  respect to the laws of any other
state or jurisdiction.