The inevitable path to the revival of Hanfu | A shop owner's reflections and changes after four years of operating a traditional Chinese style store | Is the emergence of Neo-Chinese style inevitable?

Hello, we are a traditional Chinese style store in Malaysia.

When I first started running this online store, my idea was very simple.

When I first got into Hanfu, I started buying Hanfu and Han-themed items, taking photos and posting them online.

Many friends have asked me where I buy my clothes.

Back in the day, with Taobao, we still needed to find purchasing agents, as it couldn't be shipped directly to Malaysia, and payment was inconvenient.

So I became a personal shopper, buying and introducing Hanfu (traditional Han clothing) for my friends.

We didn't manage it very seriously in the previous years.

Occasionally, we will stock some traditional Chinese style products, such as traditional Chinese style bookmarks.

It wasn't until the pandemic that I seriously started registering with SSM and running my small online store full-time.

At first, I didn't know how to position the store or what to sell.

Should I write about [Ancient Style Specialty Store], [Hanfu Store], [Chinese Style Store], [Han Culture Store], [Traditional Chinese Style], [Chinese Trend]?

What should I sell?

Do you only sell Hanfu (traditional Han clothing)? Or do you sell other products related to Chinese elements?

Does "products featuring Chinese elements" refer only to Han culture? Or can any aspect of Chinese culture be sold?

Can I sell cheongsams?

How exactly do I choose products?

Why do nine-tailed foxes appear on so many Chinese-style products? Chinese culture also includes flower arranging, doesn't it?

I learn as I go, and I select products at the same time.

Do it, do it, but that's not right again.

Having ideals is good, but they don't sell.

Poor performance, low profits, insufficient traffic—we're losing money every month. To succeed in the long run, besides choosing the right products and defining the store's product positioning, we need to figure out how to promote and attract customers, understand market needs, and know how to operate to make money.

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Here's the important part!

Let's talk about why our store has recently seen a lot of "New Chinese Style" outfits.

【New Chinese Style】is the key to this year's popularity.

I remember I'd never seen "New Chinese Style" before.

At most, it's a "modified version" with Chinese elements.

In the past, when selling Hanfu, the arguments among fellow enthusiasts revolved around issues like, "This design is wrong, it's not Hanfu," "Just modify it and it's called Han-style," and "You capitalists aren't selling Hanfu at all, you don't understand Hanfu."

I've always liked Hanfu-inspired designs, especially short, cute, and lace-trimmed ones.

Or a more modern style of Hanfu.

I think if Hanfu hadn't been interrupted, it would have naturally evolved into the "Han elements" we see today.

It will definitely feature zippers, lace trim, and incorporate various Western elements.

First, it's because manufacturers will definitely make improvements to save time or effort.

Second, people will definitely choose the simpler style of Hanfu for greater convenience.

Third, aesthetic standards are constantly evolving, and everyone will inevitably incorporate their favorite styles into Hanfu. Hanfu will become increasingly diverse and unique.

Just think about it, each dynasty's Hanfu has its own characteristics, so how could modern Hanfu not integrate and absorb modern features?

The revival of Hanfu back then was all in the hope of letting more people know about Hanfu.

After all, if you ask what traditional Chinese clothing is, do we not even know the term "Hanfu"?

Back then, we didn't even have names for our traditional clothing. Some people called it "Hanfu," "Huafu," "Tangzhuang," or "Huaxia clothing."

Now they are uniformly called "Hanfu".

The emergence of Neo-Chinese style has made more people like and accept clothing incorporating Chinese elements.

It also allows more people to discover the existence of Hanfu.

The new Chinese style also incorporates Hanfu elements, which are now considered "Han elements" and have become an aesthetic and style that is acceptable to the general public.

Many comrades who have come from the past feel "angry" and "speechless" upon seeing the term "New Chinese Style."

They may feel that the influx of capital has made Hanfu no longer Hanfu, and that there are fewer and fewer traditional Hanfu on the market.

Capital has created "modified" and "simplified" versions of "new Chinese style" and "Han elements" to facilitate production or because of a lack of understanding of the details.

But I think the entry of capital is a good thing.

To allow more people to access the so-called "new Chinese style".

When people become accustomed to and widely accept this type of clothing, the market will begin to segment.

At that time, there will definitely be groups who appreciate tradition and detail looking for "traditional Hanfu".

These are all potential markets.

The premise is to first make the public aware of and accept "Chinese style of dressing" which is different from Western style of dressing!

The emergence of the new Chinese style is not an obstacle to the revival of Hanfu, and there is no need to worry too much about whether the revival of Hanfu will go astray.