In my neck of the woods, the first serious harbinger of spring is the coltsfoot – small yellow flowers close to the ground. A friend had a few show up at her place two weeks ago. They showed up around my apartment building early this past week. Most people don’t look closely enough and mistake them for dandelions.
I love how they peek out from the gravel and bits of dead vegetation. You can’t miss them. Those small green leaves in front of the flowers are actually wild strawberry, they’ll get buried by the large coltsfoot leaves which will show up after the flowers are done.
They offer a cheery pause from all the gloomy news both in Canada and the US and the rest of the world!
Let’s talk about the moment Donald Trump blinked. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t a tweetstorm or a rally rant. When the tariff threats that had the world on edge—125% on China, 25% on Canada’s autos, a global trade war in the making—suddenly softened. A “pause,” he called it. A complete turnaround from the chest-thumping of the past week. And the reason? Mark Carney and a slow, deliberate financial maneuver that most people didn’t even notice: the coordinated Treasury bond slow bleed.
This wasn’t about bravado. It was about leverage. Cold, calculated, and devastatingly effective.
Trump’s pause wasn’t because people were getting yippy…
Turns our PM was at the helm, here! He saw what was coming and did something about it – no fanfare on the campaign trail, no waving flags, no patting himself on the back. He talked to the EU, to Britain, to Japan, others, with a plan – slowly sell their US Treasury Bills and let the market do the talking. They were ready for the tariffs that trump had announced well in advance of “Liberation Day”. When those silly tariffs were announced the selling began. It didn’t take long.
Rewind a bit. While Trump was gearing up his trade war machine, Carney, Canada’s Prime Minister, wasn’t just sitting in Ottawa twiddling his thumbs. He’d been quietly increasing Canada’s holdings of U.S. Treasury bonds—over $350 billion worth by early 2025, part of the $8.53 trillion foreign countries hold in U.S. debt. On the surface, it looked like a safe play, a hedge against economic chaos. But it wasn’t just defense. It was a loaded gun.
Carney didn’t stop there. He took his case to Europe. Not for photo ops, but for closed-door meetings with the EU’s heavy hitters—Germany, France, the Netherlands. Japan was in the room too, listening closely. The pitch was simple: if Trump went too far with tariffs, Canada wouldn’t just retaliate with duties on American cars or steel. It would start offloading those Treasury bonds. Not a fire sale—nothing so crude. A slow, steady bleed. A signal to the markets that the U.S. dollar’s perch wasn’t so secure.
That’s the message Carney delivered in his call with Trump last week. No leaks on the exact words, but the outcome speaks volumes. Trump didn’t just pause the tariffs; he backpedaled hard. China’s still in the crosshairs—125% duties are no joke—but Canada? The EU? Japan? They’re off the hit list. For now, at least. Why? Because Carney’s play wasn’t noise. It was power.
Let’s be real: Trump’s spent years calling Canada a freeloader—remember his 2019 NATO jabs?—while ignoring the inconvenient truth. Canada’s $350 billion in U.S. debt isn’t charity. It’s a lifeline. Japan’s trillion-plus? Same deal. The EU’s pile? Ditto. These countries aren’t just buying bonds to be nice; they’re bankrolling the U.S. government. And when they threaten to pull the plug, even slowly, Washington listens.
This was the determining factor in Trump’s surrender. Not the public spats, not the retaliatory tariffs Canada slapped on U.S. autos (though those stung). It was the quiet, coordinated threat of a Treasury bond unwind that bent Trump’s knee. Carney didn’t need to shout. He didn’t need to posture. He lined up the free world—Japan, the EU, Canada in lockstep—and showed Trump the cliff’s edge. Strategic brilliance doesn’t get louder than that.
Carney also issued Canadian Treasury bonds in USD which was another brilliant way to strengthen Canada’s position and financial reputation. Little triggers and strategies you get when the world’s most respected economist is your PM…
You get the drift. Apparently, the instigator of the T-Bill selloff that scared the shit out of trump was Carney. The experienced banker. The person who understands international finance.
Carney made sure to tell the world that despite Trump kissing our northern ring, we’re not negotiating shit until after the election. He also said we’re still moving away from our relationship with the US for greener, saner pastures.
Looks like we have THE man for the job.
We need to make sure we elect enough Liberals for him to continue in the job. PP wouldn’t have had a clue how to do this, or that it could be done. All he knows is how to name call. To act like trump.
I wrote this piece on Oct 19/24 – after reading Lozada’s piece. I thought I’d share it today because the excerpt from Obasan is even more relevant than it was in October!
This is my own my native land.
I wonder whether others are feeling the same ambiguity I am about what being Canadian involves, particularly as election day draws closer and we are facing perhaps a life-shaping decision between the divisive, trumpish, anger of PP and the well informed, experienced, financial expert to lead our government. We don’t vote for a Prime Minister, which makes the decision more complicated but ultimately that’s the decision influencing how I will mark my ballot. As things stand, I can’t vote Conservative no matter how capable my local candidate may be.
An immigrant from Peru, Lozada details the conundrums he faces daily regarding his immigrant identity. I was deeply moved by his writing. Moved enough to write a personal note to him at his email address at the NYT. (I don’t expect him to answer.)
His opinion piece evoked a memory of what Joy Kogawa had to say in Obasan, her novel written in 1981. I felt compelled to find those words again and share them with Lozada.
Here is the letter I wrote him:
Carlos,
As I was reading your piece, I can’t tell you how it resonated for me. What’s interesting is I was born here in Canada, my mother was born in Canada, my father was an immigrant as were all my grandparents; I personally feel more “immigrant” these days than at any other time in my life (I’m heading toward 82!). In today’s actively antisemitic world I feel my token “jewishness” separating me from my “christian” friends and neighbours. The conundrums you describe are present in my life in such subtle ways but they are there.
I feel my “immigrantness” weekly when I visit two young Afghan families recently come to Canada. I spend a couple of hours a week with each family chatting in English, reading children’s books in English, to help them learn a language they are working so hard to learn. I visit weekly for these young women to help them overcome the isolation a lack of common language forces upon them. These new permanent residents to Canada have become like grandchildren/great-grandchildren in the almost two years I’ve known them.
I can’t imagine their decision to leave Afghanistan and their families behind. I know the facts of their escapes through Iran, arriving in Turkey as illegals, the unimaginable luck of making contact with a Canadian citizen sponsorship group who helped bring them to Canada. I’m not an official part of that group (my youngest sister is), but through my investment of time these past two years, I have come to feel a small bit of what my grandparents must have experienced, who knew they would never see those they left behind, many of whom a few decades later would have ended in Nazi crematoria. Both sets of grandparents left Lithuania and Poland/Ukraine respectively and arrived in Canada in the early 1900s. I have no names of those left behind but I am absolutely certain many relatives did not survive WWII.
Canada, like the USA, is a nation of immigrants, yet so many people seem disconnected from that reality. In Canada, we’re a bit more aware of our crimes against the First Nations people – our halting attempts at reconciliation keep reminding us that we displaced them, disenfranchised them, demeaned them and that everybody else has immigrant origins from all over the world.
We are experiencing in Canada a growing sentiment that we don’t want more immigrants, we need to keep “these people” out – they’re taking “our” jobs (in spite of the fact that Canadians don’t want to do the jobs they are willing to do), making housing impossible to find (that’s really the fault of those of us who made development decisions fifty years ago), overrunning our healthcare system (who actually made the decisions to cut back spending on medicine, education, dentistry, social work, … forty years ago?). We need these new people for their willingness to work hard, for the cultural diversity they bring to us, for their talents and skills which enrich our community.
Shortly after it was published (1981) I read Joy Kogawa’s novel “Obasan” – there’s a passage in it that has stayed with me these 40+ years – written words of the Aunt (Obasan) who had been born in Canada but sent with her family to a Japanese internment camp during WWII:
—————————————
“The entire manuscript was sixty pages long, I skimmed over the pages till I came across a statement underlined and circled in red: I am Canadian. The circle was drawn so hard the paper was torn. Three lines of a poem were at the top of the page.
Breathes there a man with soul so dead Who never to himself hath said: This is my own, my native land!
The tanned brown edges of the page crumbled like autumn leaves as I straightened out the manuscript.
The exact moment when I first felt the stirrings of identification with this country occurred when I was twelve years old, memorizing a Canto of “The Lay of the Last Minstrel.”
So many times after that I repeated the lines: sadly desperately, and bitterly. But at first I was proud, knowing that I belonged.
This is my own, my native land.
Then as I grew older and joined the Nisei group taking a leading part in the struggle for liberty, I waved those lines around like a banner in the wind:
This is my own, my native land.
When war struck this country, when neither pride nor belligerence nor grief had availed us anything, when we were uprooted, and scattered to the four winds, I clung desperately to those immortal lines:
This is my own, my native land.
Later still, after our former homes had been sold over our vigorous protests, after having been re-registered, fingerprinted, card-indexed, roped and restricted, I cry out the question:
Is this my own, my native land?
The answer cannot be changed. Yes. It is. For better or worse, I am Canadian.”
—————————————
Securely Canadian having been born here myself, I still feel Obasan’s struggle as somehow my own.
Your NYT piece has evoked all those same feelings about country and belonging that I found those many years ago in Kogawa’s writing,
Thanks for such a passionate piece.
Judith Newman
I finally made it back to my sewing machine. This week I finished a housecoat (no photo since I’m wearing it!) Today I made an iPhone case for a friend – she asked me to make her a new one since her new phone is too large for the old one. I just finished it:
Over the last couple of months I’ve been sucked into that giant whirlpool called Substack. It began when trump first announced impending tariffs on Canada, ridiculing our Prime Minister (“governor”), and declaring Canada would become the 51st state. I couldn’t tear myself away from the train wreck happening in real time.
I found it impossible not to become glued to the “news’ and since the US media (both TV and print) have largely stopped covering and analyzing the “real” news (those institutions have fallen on their faces to accommodate trump) I turned to Substack – the independent writing platform that has drawn many wonderful, serious political writers. Many good Canadian writers have found a home on Substack, as well. I can’t pull myself away from their analyses of what’s going on.
I found myself reading and responding several times a day. I even contributed to the raging discourse. I realized my life has slowly been taken over by the pull of what is very good writing and opinions I feel compelled to respond to.
I have done almost no sewing/quilting/making for the past six weeks! (I have continued knitting most evenings.) I suppose you could say my “creative” energy has gone into writing, but I’m not sure there is anything creative in my commentary.
Let me share some writing I think has merit.
At the top of my list is Charlie Angus. I don’t know how he manages it, but every day there’s a new, interesting, piece about the reality Canada is facing.
His (trump’s) rhetoric towards Canada and his attacks on our national economy have intensified, and the consequences are very real.
What surprised trump is that Canadians don’t take kindly to being treated as the chump who gets thrown into the turnbuckle. We are fighting back hard, and trump didn’t see it coming
Angus has become a prominent cheerleader for Canadian sovereignty.
Next on my list is Timothy Snyder (currently at Yale University but moving to U of T soon).
1. Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.
Lithgow is a wonderful actor. His reading of Snyder’s text is powerful. These lessons are relevant for Canadians, too!
Then there’s John Pavlovitz – a former southern Baptist preacher who’s left the fold. What drew me to him was his rejection of what Christianity in the US has become for so many people. His “Dear Jesus, Do I really have to love my Enemies? is a wrenching plea to his god to help him understand his Christian responsibilities.
It was a lot easier to aspire to loving my enemies when they didn’t seem so close, so loud, and so prevalent; when I didn’t have so many daily reminders of just how much loving I’m now required to do.
I now have to love my enemy across the table at family gatherings. I have to love my enemy on my dear friend’s social media profiles. I have to love my enemy in my neighbor’s driveway. I have to love my enemy in the carpool line. I have to love my enemy at the gym who interrupts my workout with unsolicited opinions. I have to love my enemy at restaurants who I can overhear in the booth next to me. I have to love my enemy driving in front of me on the highway. I have to love my enemy at my former church. I have to love my enemy at my current church.
Loving my enemies now seems a lot more labor intensive and a lot more complicated than it used to. To be honest, when I see some of the things these people are saying, the hatred they’re perpetuating, and the damage they’re inflicting—I’m not that interested in loving them.
It’s the lists that grab me. As an avowed Jewish atheist I’m an outsider – I’m not party to his Christian angst, but his expression of that angst fascinates me and strengthens my atheist core.
I follow Elizabeth Rybak (A Letter From A Maritimer) – she lives in New Brunswick. I haven’t gone back to her earlier writing, but lately she’s offering an interesting perspective on Canada and the world.
There have always been more kind people than unkind people. There have always been more people who choose to help, who build things, who take care of others, and who work to heal and protect. More people who want to make the world better, safer, and fairer for everyone. And just as meanness and cruelty may spread from one person to another, kindness spreads too. A single act of kindness can set off a ripple that touches so many lives in ways you may never see. And kindness is more powerful than meanness because kindness creates, while cruelty only destroys. Every time you choose kindness, you add something good to the world.
Every single person matters. No matter how small, no matter how quiet, no matter where they come from, every person has something special to offer the world.
Heather Cox Richardson is an historian – her Letters from an American offers a very thoughtful analysis of the latest craziness of the trump regime.
…if we’re going to actually really effect real change in the country, it will require us completely replacing the existing ruling class with another ruling class…. I don’t think there’s sort of a compromise that we’re going to come with the people who currently actually control the country. Unless we overthrow them in some way, we’re going to keep losing.” “We really need to be really ruthless when it comes to the exercise of power,” he said….
Last month, journalist Gil Duran of The Nerd Reich noted that Curtis Yarvin, a thinker popular with the technological elite currently aligned with the religious extremists at Project 2025, laid out a plan in 2022 to gut the U.S. government and replace it with a dictatorship. This would be a “reboot” of the country, Yarvin wrote, and it would require a “full power start,” a reference to restarting a stalled starship by jumping to full power, which risks destroying the ship.
Sure looks like what’s going on!
I’ll end with Postcards From Canada. An idea of Alice Goldbloom – vignettes about Canadians and life in Canada to share with the larger world. Paula Halpern wrote:
I’m not a flag-waving patriot arrogantly declaring Canada to be the best of all countries on Earth. There is no such place. Perhaps it was former Member of Parliament Jack Layton who described this country best, without the hyperbole. In a farewell letter to Canadians just before he died, he wrote simply that “Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world.”
About sums it up.
I encourage you to dip your toes into Substack, but be careful, you can find yourself drowning.
True North HQ is a grassroots movement based in Canada, formed in response to the actions of the current U.S. administration.
The group started on social media in February 2025 and later grew when a few additional members met while gathering outside the US consulate in Toronto on March 4, 2025. Realizing there was a lack of coordinated action, we decided to team up and fill the gap.
Our goal is to organize and promote events that unite people in peaceful, non-violent protest during this challenging time. We also aim to support others in promoting and organizing similar events in their own communities.
We are a collective of individuals and not affiliated with any political party or other organization.
Guiding Principles
Our movement stands as a unified expression of solidarity and hope, rooted in the shared values of equality, justice and fundamental human rights. As Canadians, we rise to affirm our role as global leaders and defenders of democracy, freedom and unity.
Together, we transcend opposition and focus on supporting human rights across the globe. We gather not in anger, but in courage and commitment to a brighter and more equitable future.
Guided by our shared principles, we stand against oppression and authoritarianism. In the face of challenges we remain steadfast in our vision; to be a beacon of unity, freedom and hope for all.
For folks in the US – a protest is planned for April 5th!
We are facing a national crisis. Our democracy, our livelihoods, and our rights are all on the line as Trump and Musk execute their illegal takeover.
They’re dismantling Social Security and Medicare—forcing seniors and disabled Americans to jump through hoops to access the benefits they’ve already paid into.
They’re handing trillions to billionaires—while forcing the rest of us to pay higher prices for food, rent, and healthcare.
They’re gutting protections for working people—so payday lenders, banks, and credit card companies can scam Americans with zero consequences.
They’re assaulting our communities and our rights—targeting veterans, kids, seniors, farmers, immigrants, transgender people, and political opponents.
They won’t stop there.
This is not just corruption. This is not just mismanagement. This is a hostile takeover.
So the RESISTANCE is mobilizing!
We’re past the point where each person can turn away. We can’t just complain. We can’t say “We didn’t think he’d do THIS!”
The time is NOW to show you’re ready to fight back.
I’ve just spent the past hour scrolling through my Substack feed and posting a comment on every entry that had 1K or more viewers! My comment to Canadians:
March on March 24! With a link to the True North website!
My comment to US folks:
March on April 5! With a link to the Hands Off! website!
I will do that again tomorrow and maybe the day after. My role, I think is likely to be to inform people – to make sure people understand what’s at stake; who’s writing stuff we all should read and understand; where and how we can take action.
Today: I’m letting you know about the national protests.
Tomorrow I’ll write my synopsis of where I think we are and what we can do about it. There are lots of terrific writers sharing their thoughts. I’ll link you to that information and that writing so you, too, understand what’s going on!
Welcome to the RESISTANCE – in Canada and in the US.
Here in Canada, we know trump’s threat isn’t a joke. We’re fully aware of what’s at stake. I’ve got my fingers crossed Canadians have the stamina to keep our “Elbows Up” and sustain the boycott on US food and goods for as long as necessary, taking on the hardship the tariffs bring and supporting one another so everybody can stand against trump!
People in Canada are beginning to realize Canada = Ukraine now – a bully pushing to take us over for spurious reasons to enlarge their territory and steal our resources and water! To eradicate our culture and social values (which by the way are a threat to theirs, as is the case with Ukraine and Russia).
I’m raging about this, have been for the better part of a year. I’m 82 – born at the end of WWII – while my personal memories are more than vague, I do remember the immediate post-war period and I carry the stories of my parents and grandparents about what happened in the years immediately before my birth. I need to be passing on those stories so younger people who shrug at the political situation, want to turn away and let things slide, understand how they will pay for this for the rest of their lives and their children’s lives and their grandchildren’s lives until the 7th generation!
In Canada some of us do understand what’s at stake! Now we need to help the rest of us understand the costs.
Just so we’re clear, this is not a Trump-only phenomenon. Yesterday, when asked if the U.S. still considers Canada a “close ally,” White House press secretary Katherine Leavitt said that Canada would “benefit greatly” from joining the United States and pointed to its high cost of living as a reason for surrendering sovereignty.
“Benefit greatly!” – at what cost? We completely lose our values, our identity, our freedom! Canadians don’t see any benefit to being cast into this trump chaos where the privileged few get the goodies and the rest of us are left to fight over the dregs! That’s “benefit greatly”?
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick sounded a similar theme, noting that “Canada is gonna have to work with us to really integrate their economy, and as the president said, they should consider the amazing advantages of being the 51st state.”
“Amazing advantages of being the 51st state!” Really! Here’s where I take out my piece of paper, draw a line down the middle and put the headings “Advantages” and “Disadvantages” at the top on each side. I haven’t done that exercise yet. I’ll share it when I do. I welcome any suggestions for what should be on each list!
I can’t begin to tell you how angry I am. I’m tired of being the “mouse” in this “cat-and-mouse” game. I hate this feeling of powerlessness. I have power – I’ve begun using it by boycotting US goods when I’m shopping. But NOW is the time to take on the education of my fellow Canadians. I need to take back my power by shouting from the rooftops about what’s we’d be “buying” were we to succumb to trump’s inducements to become part of the US.
We need to face the fact that WE ARE AT WAR right now. This is what it looks like – the threats, the escalating tariffs, the attacks on our economy…
We need to look to Ukraine for moral support, for the example of resistance and independence we’re going to need going forward.
I’m a RAGING GRANNY!
Please join me by helping your friends and neighbours understand what’s at stake.
I didn’t think I’d ever manage to finish this piece! It seems like I started it forever ago – I began on Jan 16 with a couple of inset circle blocks. Three days later I had the layout pretty much established and I couldn’t go any further (trump was sworn into office the day after that, and all hell broke loose…).
I picked it up two weeks ago and edge stitched the appliqué circles and then was stuck again – should I also use decorative stitching around the large inset circles or leave them unembellished?
Three days ago I decided to try some embellishment – sat at the machine and immediately broke the needle (!), then didn’t like the particular stitching I started. It took close to an hour to remove what I’d done.
The next day I tried again and managed to embroider the large, lower-left circle, both inside and outside; stuck again. Yesterday, I was determined to get the rest done! I actually did.
Today, I added the binding. I’d chosen the black fabric with the small circles to tie the whole together and hoping a dark binding would lighten the piece (not as much as I’d hoped it would).
Now I’m looking for a name for it – something that highlights the bright circular shapes. Any ideas?
Yesterday, an article in the New York Times by Matina Stevie-Gridneff lays out what’s been transpiring over the past two months. To see the extent of the “demands” and the timeline is informative. We all know bits and pieces of the bullying but this piece is a good synopsis; I recommend reading it! (A gift article)
Today is International Women’s Day! Women in Canada have an important role to play in this absurd war we’re engaged in. In a great many families it’s we women who decide how the bulk of our $$$ are spent. We’re in a position to impact the US economy in a significant way based on our purchasing power.
For example, yesterday, I automatically went to Amazon.ca to make a small purchase – I stopped myself. I am refusing to buy from Amazon! I dropped my Washington Post subscription when Bezos kissed trump’s ass. For the moment, I’m hanging on to my subscription to The Atlantic because the reporting/journalism in that publication has substance and refuses to kowtow to the administration. I’m on the fence regarding The New York Times – their opinion writers are still reporting with information that’s important for people to have, but a lot of the other stuff isn’t worth my time; they’re definitely not contributing to the resistance in a significant way.
I was looking for a couple of bras the other day – there are Canadian companies that source their manufacturing from other than the US (it’s pretty difficult finding ones that manage to produce goods in this country). And of course, I check country of origin when grocery shopping. My boycott list is still pretty short, but I know I’ll be adding companies to my “stay-away” list over the next months (maybe years) as I need to shop for other commodities.
Fabric – that’s in interesting category! I’ve been checking country of origin on the fabrics I’ve looked at, as well as whether they come directly to Canada bypassing the US completely. At my local shop, down the street, the fabrics are woven and printed in Asia and come directly into Vancouver (although it’s likely the cotton used is grown in the US). I don’t have to feel guilty making purchases there. Same with the sewing machines and notions – for the most part they bypass the US.
Truth is, I hate shopping! I’ve been an online shopper for a relatively long time. But I can see my shopping habits will have to change as this conflict continues/escalates. Even if the tariffs prove to be short-lived – I don’t believe that’s going to be the case, however – I feel committed to shopping Canadian going forward! I hope you do, too.
I’ve just had what I think was my first encounter with a customer service AI Bot! I’ve dealt with AI Chat Bots when I’ve contacted customer service and that little “Chat” pop-up shows up at the bottom or side of my screen. I always ask to talk to a “human” – that usually gets me to an actual person. But this “chat” was different.
I was reading an article by a young Canadian woman – an influencer – who was discussing being able to buy Canadian-made clothing instead of garments made in the US, and she gave several links to companies which she disclosed would pay her a small amount if we clicked on them.
I wasn’t concerned about the fact that she was a paid influencer – I was curious to see the made-in-Canada pants she was describing. So I clicked on her link and got to the page where I saw them:
Obviously made in a soft “micromodal” fabric (some bamboo in the rib knit (the cuffs), some fullness at the top, tapered legs, comfortable fit at the natural waist.
Interesting – I checked out the size info – I’m interested in whether it’s remotely possible that I can fit my size XXL waist and size S bum in a single pair of pants. At the bottom of the size info page is a “contact us” link so I click on it. In the message box I wrote:
How do I pick a size when my waist is XXL and my hip is S?
Here’s the answer I got:
Thank you for reaching out! I understand it can be a bit tricky when your measurements vary like that. We recommend checking out our general size chart, which you can view here: (a link to the size guide info pop-up).
If you’re still in doubt, please feel free to reply with your complete measurements (bust, waist, and hips) for the specific garment you are interested in, and we’d be happy to check with our production team to help you find the best size.
Looking forward to helping you feel confidently comfortable in your (company name) pieces 😊
Could be a person, could be an AI Bot. I carry on.
My bust is large: 38” – 40”; My waist is xxl: 35” – 37”; My hip is small: 38” – 40” I was looking at the dressy sweatpant (and gave the link to the pants)
I get a reply back – too fast for it to have been from a person, who would have needed to have taken time first to read my note, then write the response (or to find one of the stock replies – which this is):
Thanks for sharing your measurements! Based on the information provided, I would recommend trying the Dressy Sweatpant in size XXL to ensure a comfortable fit around the waist. The design should accommodate your bust and hips comfortably as well.
If you have any other questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out!
Now it’s confirmed I’m dealing with an AI Bot – it’s the “design should accommodate your bust and hips comfortably as well.” My bust has no relevance to the fit of a pair of pants! A person would not have made that comment.
I reach out one more time – curious what the AI Bot will reply:
And what do I do with all that excess fabric in the bum?
I loved the response that followed:
I understand that extra fabric in certain areas can be a bit frustrating. Our pieces are crafted to feel both comfortable and stylish, but I understand everyone’s body is unique. If you’re finding that the fit isn’t exactly right for you in the bum area, you might consider having the garment adjusted by a trusted tailor. They could help modify the fit to achieve the look and comfort you’re after, ensuring that all the right areas flatter you perfectly.
If there’s anything else I can help with, just let me know 😊
I knew before I started the conversation that I can’t buy pants that fit from this manufacturer. I can’t buy pants from any manufacturer which is why I’ve made my own for almost 50 years! At that point I stop.
But I get one more note from the company asking me to rate my conversation. I answer:
The AI Bot was a bit dumb! Didn’t understand a bust measurement was of no use in fitting pants! And completely unsympathetic with my problem – large waist and small bum!
Oh well – I won’t be buying the pants although I’ll look for a similar pattern and adjust it to fit my size. Your pants just won’t fit!
And I get one final note – this time it may be from an actual human – it’s signed (which none of the earlier responses were).
I’m really sorry to hear that you felt the fit of our pants wasn’t right for you and that our initial advice didn’t address your concerns appropriately. I truly understand how challenging it can be when your body measurements don’t seem to match a single size – and I regret that our sizing guidance didn’t provide the clarity and sympathy you were looking for.
Your feedback is very important, and I will make sure it’s passed along so that we can work on improving how we assist with these unique proportions in the future. I hope that when you’re ready to explore more options, we can help you find something that feels just right.
Thank you for giving us a chance, and please know we’re here if you ever need anything else 😊
With gratitude, Carolina
So while a person may have actually read and responded to me this last time, it still feels like a stock answer.
That’s the end of the conversation – time for me to delete it all and forget about it.
I just thought to myself “this is what we’re going to be facing more and more – bland, generic, responses to our questions when we’re looking for customer service. Much cheaper to program some AI Bot than paying a person to actually interact with customers.”
Too bad I’m not buying anything from Lands End (I’m not buying anything from any US company, if I can help it) – I always call them rather than order online because their operators are so chatty and interesting. You can have a real conversation about where they live, what the weather is like there, how long they’ve been working for Lands End. I’ve made a friend by the time my order is completed. Feels satisfying.
It seems more and more of us are using our blogs to express what we’re experiencing these days. Here’s another piece of writing with some good links to why each of us needs to be reading labels and speaking out with our $$$!
jmn 