Photo: Via Glamour

“At the beginning of the fashion blog uprising I loved the rawness of it all,” Fashionista commenter Kathryn McMorries Heller recently wrote beneath a post in which Cathy Horyn advised bloggers not to be “shady.” “Responsible and active readers have always had to keep in mind who owns/sponsors/advertises any print or TV media. Now, you should keep that in mind with many blogs as well.”

Another Fashionista commenter, Andrea Stark Ratner, agrees, writing, “Now, for many of the “top” bloggers, they are “sent” clothing, shoes, accessories, etc., flown and sent to events all over the world, with everything paid for, and then there is a blog post about the “gift” or event and a link to where the reader can purchase the item or get in on what is happening…This practice takes the ‘pureness’ out of blogging…the blogger is no longer doing it for pure love of fashion, but is now a shill for a brand.”

Of course the practice of receiving free swag isn’t exactly a secret: Most bloggers disclose what products they were “gifted” in their posts (we get swag and tell you when we write about it). But not all of them do. Moreover, some bloggers feel pressure to wear or write about a certain product in order to maintain a good relationship with a brand, in hopes that either more free product–or a paid gig–will come their way as a result. One popular blogger we spoke with, who wished to remain anonymous, told us, “Right now, all brands are doing the same thing: They’re sending free product to bloggers or to online fashion publications and having them feature the product. It’s a slightly vicious cycle of bribery.”