Switch is a jewelry subscription that lets you rent designer jewelry starting at $29 a month. You can wear the pieces for as long as you like, or switch them out for new piece(s) whenever you want. Shipping is always free. The jewelry, which includes pieces by Hermes, Alexander McQueen, and Celine, among others, averages $500, and includes necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and new this month, rings! Jewelry is cleaned between wearers.
I have always admired fun statement jewelry on other women, but I can never bring myself to commit to a piece. Who wants to spend $500 on a piece of jewelry that you may wear only a few times before it goes out of fashion? But who wouldn’t like having an amazing new piece whenever you go out? Not being an heiress or a tech entrepreneur, and having a firm frugality-is-golden Midwestern upbringing, I figured that this kind of jewelry was out of reach for me. Enter Switch, which lets you have fun without the commitment. It’s like internet dating for jewelry!
Sign-up is simple. You look through the collection and pick the pieces you like. The website makes it easy to know which pieces are available. So, just like you’re shopping, you pick what you want, put them in your closet, and check out. Shipping is free both ways. Wear it as long as you like, and send it back when you’re ready for something new. I have the Black plan, which allows me to have three pieces at any one time for $69 a month.
Switch recently redesigned its packaging, and it’s all new and Switch-branded. Don’t forget to save that black shipping envelope, though — you’ll need it to send the jewelry back.
DEAL: Get half off your first month on any plan. Use coupon code HELLOHALF.
Switch is always changing up its inventory, so there’s always something new and fun to select. This month, I went big and fun. I got the Chains and Pearls Pearl Hoop Earrings in 14K ($350 retail value), the Yves Saint Laurent Vintage Green Lucite Heart Brooch ($400 retail value), and the Chanel Vintage Orange Resin Flower Bangle ($800 retail value).
First up were the Chains and Pearls Pearl Hoop Earrings in 14K ($350 retail value).
One thing that’s great about Switch is that they have the fun costume jewelry (see below for the giant orange bracelet) but they also have the good stuff! These bold (yet elegant!) earrings are 14K yellow gold with a 1 cm pearl on the loop. They are very light to wear and easy to put on yourself. The drop is about 2″.
I wore these earrings constantly this month–to a cocktail party, to book club, and even to a basketball game. They’re big, so they make a statement, but the gold and pearl keep it tasteful, and they go with absolutely everything. I didn’t find a 14K stamp on the earrings to prove that they’re real, but that’s the great thing about the Switch system–I don’t have to worry about it. I wore them, I loved them, and I sent them back. I could enjoy wearing them without worrying about the value of my investment. Now, if I wanted to purchase them, I would receive a member discount and could buy right from my closet on the Switch website.
Next up is the Yves Saint Laurent Vintage Green Lucite Heart Brooch ($400 retail value).
I’m not normally a brooch-wearer, even though I do wear a blazer when I’m at the office. But there was something about this fun little green heart that caught my eye. It’s a hair under an inch from top to bottom, and the green lucite is brighter in person than the camera catches. The gold-tone metal has a brassy edge, but that adds to the vintage feel of the piece. The butterfly clutch fastener is easy to do one-handed.
You can see the Yves Saint Laurent logo on the back. This pin is pretty and understated, though the color makes it stand out. Need something beautiful for St. Patrick’s Day? This would fit the bill. I wore this on my blazer and always got compliments.
Last up is the Chanel Vintage Orange Resin Flower Bangle ($800 retail value).
I LOVE this bracelet. It’s so different from what I normally wear. It looks like something straight out of one of those vaguely boring movies from the 60s featuring young people with old hairstyles at backyard swim parties. But there’s something about it that I just really love. The flowers are embossed on the inside, so they show through in a somewhat 3D style. The color is as tangerine as early-80s Tupperware and it looks great with any warm tones in your outfit.
You can see the Chanel logo inside. The circumference is a wide 8″, a tad big for me but I didn’t care. The width is about 1″. I wore this on a date with my husband and we laughed about wearing vintage Chanel to the local Italian joint. Love, love, loved it.
And that was our month! Everything in the box was just plain fun, and it made me happy to wear it. What else do you want from your jewelry? I sent everything back for a new shipment, but if I had fallen in love with anything, I could have purchased it at a discounted price. Also, every month, I get $10 toward a future purchase. I definitely have my eye on a few things.
Overall, Switch is a really fun experience. I really like the variety of pieces available. I love the idea that I can go “shopping” for new jewelry anytime I want. Given the retail prices of the pieces (over $1500 total in this shipment!), the $29-69/month is very reasonable value. With that money, I can either buy a new piece of jewelry every 1-2 years, or I can have a new piece whenever I want. For this kind of statement jewelry that may have a shelf life of your interest or that of the fashion world’s, the economics really do weigh in favor of renting. I can’t wait to get my next Switch!
Have you tried Switch? Which piece is next in your queue? Let us know in the comments below!
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