Every June, we embark on our annual sourcing trip to Europe.
This year was no exception—physically demanding as always,
yet our three weeks in Germany and Italy turned out to be both deeply fulfilling
and, in many ways, rather enjoyable.

Last year’s trip spanned 40 days,
filled to the brim with things we wanted to do.
We visited countless places, met many people,
and pushed ourselves to gather what we felt were the best pieces.
In truth, we may have packed in a little too much—
it was one of those rare moments where we actually found ourselves thinking,
“I wouldn’t mind going home soon.”

With that in mind, we approached this year’s trip differently.
The goal was to keep the schedule and budget compact,
and to make it through without compromising our health or peace of mind.

Of course, we did have some doubts.
Could we really manage to source enough for the year ahead in just half the time?
Even though we had set the itinerary ourselves, those concerns lingered before departure.
But in the end, the outcome exceeded our expectations—
the quality was better than last year, the quantity much the same,
and the variety rather pleasing.
All in all, we're quite pleased with what we brought home.

Among the highlights:
our selection of classic Tyrolean shirts is strong this year,
and we managed to secure some Fisherman pullover shirts,
which are quite rare to come across these days.
We also explored a few new categories we’re excited to develop.
Hunting pieces were notably more plentiful than last year,
and a good number of fireman jackets made their way into our collection as well.
The workwear selection was solid, and the knitwear as dependable as ever.
Altogether, a collection that should support us well throughout the year.

One category, however, proved elusive—military.
Unlike other vintage categories, military tends to follow its own unique supply chain—
it appears when it appears, and you simply have to take the chance when it does.
One supplier even said, “Military might be coming to an end,” and that comment stuck with us.
We were fortunate to have picked up a good amount last year,
though we can't help but wonder what lies ahead.

A particularly welcome surprise this time came in the form of new encounters.
We visited around ten vintage warehouses,
and somewhat unexpectedly, those we'd never worked with before
turned out to be especially helpful.

Some of our long-standing partners, while still trusted,
now operate at a different pace and scale,
and at times we felt a slight mismatch.
By contrast, the younger suppliers—many in their twenties and thirties—
demonstrated a real understanding of vintage and were a pleasure to speak with.
They grasped what we were after remarkably quickly,
often responding with, “How about this, then?”
Some even showed a willingness to work with us next year,
which was genuinely encouraging.

Of course, in this line of work, things rarely go exactly as planned.
Next year, things might not go as hoped—
or perhaps, they’ll be better than expected.
That unpredictability is very much part of the charm.

For now, we’re focusing on the year ahead.
Taking things one step at a time, with care and intention—
and hoping, when next June comes around,
we’ll find ourselves returning to Europe once again.