Hi everyone! I was in Chicago this weekend for a wedding, and I helped my MIL shop for an upcoming trip while we were both there. She hates shopping but needs very lightweight items for a 6-week work (she's an academic) and play trip to France in the summer.

We found a couple of things she desperately needed, but one thing was very much stumping us: she wants a lightweight, 3/4 sleeve beige or tan, solid-colored top. A petite size would be better (she's petite and smaller than averaged sized, needs something like a size MP). The sleeve treatments that are trendy these days don't fly with her, but she also doesn't want a structured button down type top or a plain tee.

She wants this color because she thinks it's the only kind of thing (aside from stuff she already has) that will work with both printed blue/cream harem pants she has, and a black/cream batik skirt. She also wants it to be something she can wear to a decent restaurant at night. I think a brighter color might work too, but she wasn't keen on the idea.

This kind of item is apparently not to be found at Nordie's, and we also wandered into a Chico's and had no luck. I also checked the websites of J Jill, Talbots, Kohls, Lands' End, Garnet Hill--as well as Macy's, which was the only one with a couple of options I sent her. She lives in an area with some major chains, but not tons of them, and she's going to check a thrift store that carries a lot of Eileen Fisher (though what she tried on from EF at Nordie's was ridiculously huge on her). She has no time to shop lots more or to have something made, as she's leaving in two weeks and has a lot of her plate. (She'll be too busy working in France to shop, plus shopping is not fun for her.)

Are there any retailers I'm missing? She MIL has very specific ideas about what she wants, and it will be very difficult to talk her into trying things that differ too much from her idea (some of it I understand, like wanting sleeves). I know this because her son is the same way! We've also tried white/ivory, but found most of what's available now to be much to see-through for her taste, and I can't blame her. She can't bring tons of pieces to layer under clothes. She's taking only a carry-on for reasons of mobility, etc, which is why she wants a top that will be versatile as possible, hence all the boxes it needs to tick.

This top from Macy's (Style & Co) is the closest I've found, but the right size isn't available, and I saw her pooh-pooh peasant sleeves the other day so I'm not 100% sure this won't read as too casual to her. She will have to settle for at least one element that's not 100% what she envisioned, but I think sleeve length, color family and lightweight (with natural fibers), and not too trendy are the non-negotiables. She may be better of thrifting or going to local boutiques (which often have handmade items in her part of the world).

I have tried my own usual suspects: Gap family stores, J Crew, AT and LOFT, Boden. Plus Talbots, J Jill, and Lands End. Things either have the wrong sleeves (too trendy) or are plain tee’s or structured button down at these. None of which she wants.

ETA: I finally heard that she never found a beige top after all. I think she just didn't have the time to put into shopping for all the options I suggested, and she wore a black and white one instead. That said, I'm probably going to choose one of the options we found and buy it for her as a kind of semi-joke birthday gift.