Let’s be straightforward about money because you deserve to know how this site operates. Claire Wears is run by six people with day jobs — I work in marketing, Madison does graphic design, Jasmine’s in finance, Taylor’s a stay-at-home mom, Brooklyn works retail while building her content career, Riley’s an environmental consultant. None of us are making a living from this site. We do it because we care about fashion and wanted a place to write honestly about it, but running a website costs money.
To help cover hosting, domain fees, and occasional expenses without turning this into a job that requires actual income, we use affiliate links and display some ads. Here’s what that means in practice:
If you click a link on our site and buy something, we might earn a small commission. That commission doesn’t cost you anything extra — the price is the same whether you use our link or find the item yourself — but it gives us a few dollars toward keeping the site running. We’re talking small amounts here. Nobody’s quitting their day job over affiliate earnings from a fashion blog.
We currently work with or may occasionally use these affiliate programs:
- Affiliate Window (Awin)
- FlexOffers
- Commission Junction (CJ)
- ShareASale
- Webgains
We also use Google AdSense to display ads. If you’re using an ad blocker, we totally understand — we all do that sometimes too.
Here’s what matters: we only link to things we actually have experience with or genuinely think are worth considering. We’re not writing articles because brands are offering good commission rates. We’re not getting paid to say nice things. We’re not accepting money for positive reviews.
When we link to something, there’s a real reason behind it. Maybe I bought it from Target and it actually worked for my wardrobe. Maybe Madison found it while thrifting and it’s genuinely a good deal. Maybe Jasmine spent money on an investment piece that turned out to be worth it. Maybe Taylor discovered it makes getting dressed with kids easier. Maybe Brooklyn noticed it trending and actually tried it. Maybe Riley vetted the brand’s sustainability claims and they checked out. The point is, there’s actual experience behind any recommendation.
Our basic rule: if we wouldn’t tell a friend to buy it, we don’t link to it on the site. We’re not trying to maximize affiliate revenue by promoting whatever pays best. We’re trying to share genuine fashion advice and information, and sometimes that includes pointing toward specific products or brands that actually work.
This definitely isn’t a sales platform disguised as content. The goal here is writing honestly about fashion from six different real perspectives. If that occasionally involves affiliate links to help cover costs, that seems like a reasonable way to keep things sustainable without paywalls or intrusive advertising.
If you’d rather not use our affiliate links, that’s completely fine. Search for products directly wherever you prefer. We’re not going to guilt you about it — we just appreciate that you’re here reading our opinions about fashion.
You’re also welcome to ask about specific links. If we’ve linked to something and you want to know more about why we recommended it, what our actual experience was, whether we make anything from it, or what alternatives might work, just reach out. We’re happy to explain our thinking.
Running a website costs money. Fashion costs money. We’re balancing both with regular jobs and regular lives. Affiliate links help make it sustainable without compromising what we’re actually trying to do — provide honest fashion content from people with different backgrounds, budgets, and perspectives.
Bottom line: we use affiliate marketing to offset costs. We only link to things we actually know about or believe are worth your time. We’re not here to convince you to buy stuff you don’t need just because we get a cut. And if you do use our links to buy something, we genuinely appreciate it — those small earnings add up and help us keep writing about fashion without having to turn this into a real business with all the compromises that would require.