Editorial integrity is and always has been my MOST important consideration when writing blog posts across all of my sites: I write ONLY and ALWAYS about things I would buy, things I want to buy, or things I have bought (which is a lot as you know LOL), and I have NEVER, nor will I EVER NOT EVER accept money or goods in exchange for writing a positive post on a designer or boutique, disregarding my own opinion.
In the interest of full disclosure though, I’d like to elaborate a little on how I make money (this is my full-time job) and what goes into my Reviews.
First, many of my posts contain affiliate links (I earn a commission from the boutique whenever something is purchased using my link). Hint: if the link doesn’t have the name of the website in it, it’s an affiliate link. I only work with affiliates I respect, worked with before they became an affiliate, would buy from, or already have bought from (like Shopbop, Revolve, etc…). Affiliate links are usually afterthoughts in a post though, not the main focus, I never craft a post specifically to promote affiliates. But, if I’m writing a post about James Perse, for example, and items I want to feature are available at sites I’m “affiliated” with, I’m going to use those links in my post.
With regard to reviews, I do sometimes receive product from a designer or boutique to review. Any products I receive are not returned and are considered an appropriate “trade” for the time it takes me to write the review, take photographs, etc. There are absolutely no expectations that I will write a positive review – if I don’t like the item, or find problems with it, I’ll write about them. If I really hate the item, I will usually not review it at all. Contrary to what a lot of people seem to believe these days about bloggers, free stuff doesn’t cloud our judgments, influence our opinions, or magically compromise our editorial integrity. I, and all other independent fashion bloggers I know, consider our relationship with our readers to be more important than anything else, and would never risk losing your trust or loyalty for a buck or two, or even a pretty handbag.
Finally, I’m sure you’re aware of the advertisements I serve on all of my sites. As with affiliates, I only work with advertisers I respect, have bought from or would buy from. I have full control over all the ads on my sites, I don’t work with any ad networks, and have even stopped displaying google ads on most of my sites – I’m sorry, but if I see one of those RIDICULOUS weight loss ads being served by google on a blog I happen to be visiting, I’m leaving quickly and not going back.
I hope that clears up any questions you might have had, but please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have more. I love to talk 🙂
