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, brooches, and 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.
The Switch-branded packaging is sleek and stylish. 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. (There is now a waitlist for new members). Use coupon code HELLOHALF.
I always like when I can honestly say good things about companies, and I got the chance with Switch this month when the USPS was slow returning my pieces. I was privately freaking out that $1200 of jewelry had gone missing, but the Switch team was super responsive and calm about the whole thing. They promised that any problem would be handled. Fortunately, USPS eventually located my jewelry, and all was well. Great customer service from Switch!
This month is primetime for holiday parties, and I was excited to get some festive and showy pieces. I got the Chains and Pearls Pearl Hoop Earrings in 14K Rose Gold ($350 retail value), the Oscar De La Renta Sea Tangle Gold Plated Resin Necklace ($950 retail value), and the Lara Bohinc Mini Galaxy Bangle in Brass ($305 retail value). So much gold tone!
First up were the Chains and Pearls Pearl Hoop Earrings in 14K Rose Gold ($350 retail value).
These fun and showy earrings are 14K rose gold with faux pearl beads (which come off if you just want to wear the hoops). These have a 2″ diameter, so they’re bold, but they’re also delicate and feminine with the pearls. They are a continuous hoop, which can be a little tricky to put on, but they weigh almost nothing and are so easy to wear.
The large size of these earrings probably doesn’t work at the office (unless you work at a cool office!) but they are perfect for any social outing. You could wear these with a white tee and jeans, or, as I did, you can put them with a sequin top and knee-high boots for a holiday party. The simplicity of the earrings allows you to wear other jewelry in addition to these, so you can definitely glam it up.
I wore these many times this month and hated to send them back. (though I could keep them longer if I wanted). If I simply had to have them, I could have purchased them at the member-discounted price and kept them! Every month, you get $10 toward a future purchase.
Next up is the Oscar De La Renta Sea Tangle Gold Plated Resin Necklace ($950 retail value).
This almost-too-much-but-not gold-tone necklace is 15″ long, but the easy lobster catch lets you adjust it shorter. The free-form shape is reminiscent of seaweed or a coral reef. The resin insets are a dark turquoise color (definitely in the blue family).
You can see the Oscar de la Renta logo on the tag. This necklace has substantial heft to it, but it rests easily on your sternum. You could wear it out and proud, you mermaid, you, or you could tone down the crazy a little by tucking it under a blouse or a tunic.
This piece is the perfect example for why Switch is so awesome–I mean, do you want to wear a kelp-shaped necklace more than once? No, unless you are literally a mermaid, or maybe an oceanography professor. But it sure was fun to wear it once! And then I sent this $950 beauty right back and got something else. Winning all around. I
Last up is the Lara Bohinc Mini Galaxy Bangle in Brass ($305 retail value).
This sparkly bracelet is brassier in person than on the website, which gives it a cool vintage vibe. The bangle is wave-shaped and a little flexible, but the hexagonal snake chains are sturdy and hold their form. This bracelet is 8″ in diameter, which is a little wide for me but worked fine for a party when I didn’t have to “do” anything with my hands besides hold a drink.
You can see the Lara Bohinc logo on the side. I wore these with the Chains and Pears hoop earrings to a party, and I added a three-strand pearl bracelet to this showstopper to tie in the pearls in the earrings. It looked great, and I got lots of complements on this bracelet. You could definitely wear this to work under a blazer, or out on its own if you’re in a creative field. The slinky, 70s vibe to this piece is really fun to wear.
Man, I had lots of fun with my selections this month! It was perfect for holiday parties, and I can send them back for “regular” stuff as I head back to reality in January.
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 $1700 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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