With each year that passes since I started sewing in 2013, I buy fewer clothes. It’s impossible to quell Inner Sewing Voice saying, “Meh, I could probably make that. Or something like it.” It’s annoying, because the truth is I absolutely cannot make every piece of clothing I see and like. Sometimes Inner Sewing Voice needs to be taken down a peg.

There are times, however, when I break form and buy something new. When that happens, I look for details that would be hard to replicate—nice hardware, a fantastic fabric, or intricate embroidery. One of the last blouses I bought is from Dot Fox, a boutique on Bardstown Road in Louisville. After trying on a few ill-fitting vintage pieces (vintage is not meant for tall people with broad backsand wide hips), I found a lighter-than-air, rust-colored blouse with pretty silver embroidery on the front and an interesting neckline…