A lot of things are easier when you’re a kid. But finding a dinosaur shirt in the female clothing section? That’s difficult at any age. But, thankfully, a 5-year-old was here to do something about it.
Alice Jacob’s story has gone national after her mother wrote about her issues with the GapKids retailers for the Washington Post.
“She’s 5, and she’s not so patient. She came home yesterday and saw the shirts I was about to buy for her brother from the Gap online. The boys’ section had Star Wars, Hot Wheels, and DC Comics — along with the standard sharks and extreme sports. The girls’ section has none of those — only Disney Princesses, a few Looney Toons and Smurfs. In true 5-year old fashion, the injustice of this filled her with righteous indignation,” her mom, Beth Jacob, wrote.
So, what did Alice decide to do about it? Well, she did what any fed-up five-year-old should. She wrote a letter to voice her concerns.
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The letter, in part, read, “All your girl shirts are pink and princesses and stuff like that. The boys’ shirts are really cool. They have Superman, Batman, rock-and-roll and sports. What about girls who like those things like me and my friend Olivia? Can you make some cool girls’ shirts please? Or, can you make a ‘no boys or girls’ section — only a kids’ section?”
Very well said, and apparently, enough to grab the Gap CEO’s attention, too. According to the Huffington Post, the company worked to find the letter after reading the Washington Post article. Once found, Jeff Kirwan, CEO and president of the Gap brand, penned a response.
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“At GapKids, we try to always offer a wide range of styles and choices for girls and boys. This includes a selection of girls’ tees with dinosaurs, fire trucks, sharks, footballs and some of our superheroes,” he wrote. “But, you are right, I think we can do a better job offering even more choices that appeal to everyone. I’ve talked with our designers and we’re going to work on even more fun stuff that I think you’ll like.”
According to her mom, Alice learned one very important thing from all of this.
“Last night I was talking to her at bedtime and I asked her what’s important about that. I said, ‘What did you learn about why writing that letter was important?’” Beth told the Huffington Post. “And she threw her arms back and said, ‘Speak up!’”
Way to go, Alice!