My BoHo Dress ~ Part One: Frustration

I have a favorite style of dress. I have no idea if it has a name. I call them Those-Hippie-Ethic-Tie Dyed-No-Wait-I-Think-It's-Called-Batik-Dresses. A cumbersome name, I know. They are hard to describe so I'll link a bunch of pictures to help. If anyone knows if they have an actual name, please let me know it!

(all pictures found on Google, I own none of these images)

They are rather loose and flowing dresses. A light weight material that has been tie dyed, but not the tie dye most people think of :

No, not that kind of Tie Dye. A subtle play of color, usually one color that is just darker in some spots than in others. Maybe batik instead of tie dye.

This one is probably the best example
of what I am trying to describe.

They are almost always one size fits all, a major drawback for a woman of my...ahem...ample proportions. To make it look fitted there is usually rows of elastic sewn into the top. When the dress is relaxed, the elastic pulls it into puckers and gathers. There is also almost always some embroidery on them. Maybe tiny beads or sparse sequins. They come in many colors but all are usually darker. Dark royal blue, deep violet, emerald green, etc.

Ok, I just spent way too much time describing the dresses I like. Back to the story. There are a few stores in my area that sell dresses like this. (Stores like this usually also sell incense sticks, Grateful Dead tee shirts, and black light posters) While I know I really can't afford them and they rarely fit, I still like to pet and gaze longingly at them. At one such store a couple weeks ago I was checking out this amazing emerald green gradient dyed, handkerchief hem, sleeveless, corset back... there I go again. Anyway, this pretty dress marked 48 dollars when the sales person came over and told me the dresses were all 25 bucks. Totally not believing him I asked about the one I was holding. He nodded and told me that one was 20 bucks. Ecstatic I tried it on. Didn't fit. Undaunted, I tried on about 8 more dresses. Not a bloody one fit. I was both crushed and determined. If I couldn't buy the dress I wanted, I would make it. And I would make it for the 20 bucks the salesperson would have given it to me for.