Hello @whatageek,
Cheating is usually no fun in a game as it takes away from the challenge.
It's been a long time since I've had fun with a video game, but I really remember how frustrating it is to repeat a level in the fashion game.
I agree with the initial sentence of your post, and although I think that the fun is in achieving the goal by your own effort, I also understand the purpose of the shortcuts, they are valves to drain frustration.
Thanks for sharing.
Yeah it can be frustrating to do the same level over and over that you have already beaten in the past. Shortcuts do help with that.