Dear MeCha style mavens: help me find the perfect dress →[More:]

*sigh* I need some better summer dress options. I'm going to hit some thrift stores and consignment shops but I'd like to poll the MeCha braintrust and see what fun, current, affordable and cute internet shopping options might exist out there. WARNING: I'm kind of picky, so here are [some of] my preferences.

Fabrics: cotton, linen, silk or rayon. Jersey, fine knits, eyelet or crochet is okay too.

Cut: if it currently exists in the faux-preggo-top hell of this summer's fashion wasteland, I prefer fitted natural waists and a-line or pleated/full(ish) skirts. I have wide shoulders, a tiny waist and bike racer butt/thighs (aka: not fat, but definitely there), so empire waists turn me into a cube.

Length: I'd rather stick to above the knee lengths (can go as short as mid-thigh). Long full dresses make me look like a dwarf dragging a curtain, and at-the-knee hemlines cut my short legs in half so they look even shorter.

Necklines: halter, square, camisole or tank, prefer sleeveless or set-in (military style) to cap, ruffle or flutter sleeves, as my shoulders don't need more emphasis. and owing to the fact that I have the chest of a 10-year-old girl, boxy square necks with fitted waists (think Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, tho it's a tad long) look nice on me.

Colours: ivory (preferable to white-white), earth tones (khakis, tans, russet, olive, red-browns or golds), aquamarine or french blues, bold prints are good, and in certain styles/mixes can even trump my hatred of pinks/purples; for example I have an ivory silk tunic top in a big bold purple iris print that I adore.

DO NOT WANT: empire waists (no maternity tops kthx) denim, polyester, black, neon, pastels or calico "granny prints".

Here are some "near miss rejects" of mine:

Example 1. love the fabric and the neckline but the waistline cut is made of FAIL. Plus, it's too expensive.

Example 2. I adore the details and the colour, would be tempted to buy even at that price if it were a touch more fitted thru the waist.

Example 3. Everything about this is great, except the waistline (again) and the polyester fabric (I'd love that print or a red/orange version in cotton or silk).

Example 4. I'd buy this in a heartbeat except that's a goodly chunk of our next mortgage payment.

*sigh* perhaps it's simply time, at long last, for me to learn how to sew... ugh!