I love the idea of a denim dress for you, Peri! I hope you will order a couple and compare. I understand what you are saying about sleeves. My climate is nowhere near as hot as yours but I don't wear my chambray sleeved shirtdress on our hottest days. (Below in Finds) I save it for mid-range summer temps (mid range for us), days when the humidity is low, or times when I'll be in an AC environment.
How about trying the linen one just to see?
And here's another option...a linen blend from Aritzia. Linen blends tend to wrinkle less. I have ordered it for myself but it is not here yet. Comes in two shades of denim blue.