Hey Natalie Jean, curator, announced this side of last year that she wanted her purchases to “mean something”.

over the last year or so i’ve been on a bit of a personal odyssey to really examine the way i spend my money and why…earlier last year i made the quiet decision not to shop at forever 21 anymore…for the most part i’ve stuck to it, and i’m really pretty proud of myself for it. because as much of a thrill as a good cheap forever 21 score is, for me it’s a short-lived thrill, and ethically, it’s not something i’m proud of.

So when she kicked off Fashion Week with a post called “What You Should Be Buying At Forever 21 Right Now” – filled to the brim with affiliate links for the fast fashion retailer’s wares – a few people wanted to know what happened to her big ethical stance. To which Bratalie responded:

you know, i don’t do it in good conscience. i think about it, i worry about it, every time i do one of these posts, it weighs on me. i know this is me taking the easy way out over here, but i’m hoping that these posts are fun to read, that maybe you can get style ideas from it, and that, in the end, readers will make their own call about what they will and won’t support with their money, and how you can make the biggest impact in making our world a better place for our kids. i try to showcase as many opportunities for that as i can. maybe those posts can be the ethical fashion equivalent of a carbon offset, because heavens knows NONE of us are perfect…

Bratalie went radio silence when another reader asked “If you don’t do it in good conscience, why do it?” As if she didn’t know – for pageclick$$$$ baby! I have to wonder what Ratty will do now that Pinterest is banning affiliate links? Her blog might just turn into one big bitly bait to make up for it!