The story of how I ended up at a shop called Standún, simply because I love white Aran sweaters—the day a long-established Irish shop became my second follower.

I love white Aran knits,
and that alone was why I decided to start this shop.

From the beginning,
I didn't have any grand vision like
"collecting famous Aran knit shops" or "organizing them by brand."
It just had to be white.

It had to have a sense of prayer.
As a vintage piece,
it had to be in a condition where it could still be worn properly today.
Searching for that "first piece" that met those criteria,

I happened to encounter a Standún knit.


The impression of holding it came before the brand nameTo be honest,

at the time of sourcing, I wasn't
particularly familiar with the name Standún.
What I was looking at

was the texture, rather than the brand.
A sense of weight and comfort.

A milky white, close to unbleached.
The three-dimensional quality of the stitches and
its excellent condition.
"If it's this piece,

I can confidently deliver it as my first item."
That was the biggest reason.

And when I actually held it in my hands,
that intuition turned into conviction.


The pride of the "Republic" engraved on the tagAnother thing

that deeply moved me was the tag.
"The Republic of Ireland" = Republic.

To engrave the name of the country that became independent in 1922
onto a few centimeters of fabric.
I felt that it was packed with the pride of the knitters and
their uncompromising dedication.

And,
a mysterious design that looks like both a crest and a guardian beast.
The feeling that I couldn't help but be curious about this
was, for me, the beginning of an important translation.

When I looked it up, it was a shop that is still "alive" today

When I looked it up,
I found that Standún is an existing shop that still continues on the west coast of Ireland.

When I peeked at their Instagram,
colorful knits, seasonal items, and
Irish-style sundries were lined up.
It seems they have a cafe too,
a lively place where you could almost hear happy conversations.

I found a small Buddha statue in the shop,
and I felt as if they, who should be in a distant country, and I, who am in Japan,
were suddenly connected by a single thread.
The Buddha statue with hands pressed together
is truly the form of prayer.

Just one vintage piece in a long history.
Thinking of it as a business,
it might actually be better to handle rare tags from brands that no longer exist.

However, I felt an indescribable attachment to this piece, which carries a story connected to a "living shop" even now.


Even without a reply, there was a follow-backI took the plunge and sent an inquiry to their official account about the design on the tag.

There was no reply.

However, they followed back my account,
which I had just started.
My memorable second follower.

(The first was a white embroidery class I had long respected and
followed)
I was feeling the difficulty of running a shop,

thinking that neither views nor followers were increasing at all,
and I was feeling a little down about my own naivety,
having thought somewhere that "if I just line up things I like, it will be conveyed."
For me, who had become desperate and forgotten how to pray,
that was truly a light that became a bright omen.

As a "Japanese shop," from here on

While interacting with the Irish shop, I suddenly realized something.

I hadn't written anywhere on my Instagram that
"this is a Japanese shop."
Rather than intentionally not writing it,
perhaps I didn't have the courage to claim it yet.
This shop is in Japan.
However, the traces of handiwork and prayer

are quietly connected across borders.
This piece, which I arrived at
simply because I love white Aran knits,

became the first story of this shop.

I even thought for a moment,
maybe I should aim to be a vintage Standún specialty shop.
But first, starting with the piece right in front of me.
From now on, one by one,

I hope to continue translating the stories that things tell,
and handing them over.

＊

Thank you for reading.
May good news fly down to you, too, today.🕊️

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【Important Notice】
For two days, February 6th (Fri) and 20th (Fri), 2026,
limited to 18:00–24:00,
the "Pay ID Point Big Return Festival"
offering 5% back in "Pay ID Points" will be held.

I would be happy if you could use this as an opportunity
to welcome that one piece you've been curious about
as an "amulet."

▶ Calme & Prière | Shop of White and Prayer

▶︎ Instagram @calmepriere