Dear Gap et al.

Dear Gap/Old Navy,

I live in San Francisco - you know, the same city in which your world headquarters is located. It brings me some amusement to "buy local" from your selection. I like a lot of your clothes for my daughter, who is two but wears size 4T. The Gap-branded clothes, particularly, seem well-made, durable (enough), and are designed nicely - classic outfits in natural colors, without godawful gaudy prints, sparkles, or slogans on them (sorry, Old Navy).

Here's my issue. I mentioned that I live in San Francisco. It is now heading into late May, I know. Late Spring, you might almost say early Summer. It's bright and sunny outside. But have you checked the thermometer? Have you looked at the weather report? Have you walked from the BART to your office today? It's COLD. Well, chilly. It often does not get up to 60F in the day, rarely to 70F, and even when it does there's a cold wind blowing off the ocean and a damp fog covering the mornings and evenings - just when we're on our way in to and home from the office and day care.

Now I look for clothes for my daughter. She's starting another growth spurt, so all her size 2T stuff is way too small and her size 3T stuff, which I don't have much of, is getting a little tight. On your online catalogs I see.... tank tops! Shorts! Swim suits! Tube tops with shoulder strings! Strappy dresses! Cap-sleeve shirts with lacey holes! Skorts! The longest pants are flimsy cotton capris (I think I've already mentioned how these are less than flattering on stubby-legged toddlers).

If I dress my daughter in these, Babi at day care will chide me and put some other kid's sweater on my daughter so that she can play outside. Even I wear a windbreaker to work every day. If I wear a short-sleeve shirt, it's because the heating system at the office is stuck on - or because I know I'll be home early so I can put on a hoodie before the fog rolls in.

You live here too, Gap. You know I'm not making this up. There are other places in your market that are in the same boat, really. Pretty much the entire Pacific Northwest. Alaska. The mountain states. We need long sleeved shirts and pants, even in Summer. Maybe even a non-cropped sweater or two. How about those famous Performance Fleece pajamas, Old Navy? Why only thin cotton during the summer? OK, I respect that you only have so much display space in your stores and need to sell to the broad market (although I'm betting you'd do better in your flagship SF stores with cooler weather clothes). But it's the Internet, man, stock a few thousand in a warehouse somewhere and send it to us needy Eskimos!

Pretty please?