I ended up picking the Mika, for two reasons:
1. The bow on the Bow Monde was a little fussier than I wanted to deal with--and it ended right at my neck. I do prefer it in colors other than black so I'm going to keep my eye on it to buy in another color (maybe yellow or purple).
2. The Mika was on sale, with 30% off on that...so a dress that originally retailed for $250, I managed to buy for $82.75 (after tax and shipping). I'm no cheapskate but I do like a bargain!
It arrived today and I was able to try it on with everything--foundation garments, shoes, and all--I like it! It's a little loose around the waist but that might be good. Now I have about 4 more weeks to go to my "Armed and Dangerous" class...

...and it has POCKETS!