China Red, he said, was introduced late last year and has become a popular and chic product. Made of silk and other materials, the bras are comfortable and helps shape your body, he said of the Taiwan product whose signature cherry red color plays on Chinese symbolism. In China, red represents good fortune.

In this instance, Zhang wasn't fortunate enough to convince the woman to make a purchase.

He and five other men - all handsome and in their 20s - are believed to be the first men in the city who sell lingerie.

After conducting a market survey and having the six take a training course - Lingerie 101, you might say - the Meitha department store put them to work.

The rationale: Male customers - husbands and boyfriends - would be more comfortable discussing lingerie with them than with saleswomen. That's right, said Chen Min, 43, who bought a bra and panties set for his wife.

But since the six began working as lingerie salesmen on February 9, Zhang and the others have been instructed not to limit themselves to men.

"With the development of the economy, people should also be more open-minded," said Chen Yunhua, Meitha administrative manager. "No specific job is designed for a man or woman."

But, she acknowledged, lingerie sales have suffered because some male customers were too embarrassed to talk to saleswomen.

"So this service can be especially helpful for men. Plus, some women say it is important to get a man's point of view when selecting lingerie," Chen said.

The store's approach, however, has created a potentially awkward situation for some women.

"I can't accept such a service," moaned Ding Yan, 26, a primary school teacher. "How can I tell a man, a stranger, my bra size?"

Another woman, bank teller Cao Jiarui, 23, said she is comfortable interacting with the lingerie salesmen, adding, "Sometimes their advice is preferable."

Zhang, who previously sold cameras, said he is not embarrassed selling lingerie.

"No one feels funny when a woman sells a man underwear. So why are they uncomfortable with the opposite situation?" asked Zhang, who, since he doesn't have a girlfriend, has never bought lingerie.

Lin Qinyuan, a woman who sells intimate apparel at Meitha, said even with the introduction of salesmen, lingerie sales will remain a woman's world.

"Even if women accept service from men, it is us who provide the size-measuring and help them try things on," she said.

(eastday.com 02/26/2001)