Jessica is the blanket-obsessed founder and CEO of JG Switzer, a California, USA-based company that brings a sense of fashion and adventure to the bedroom. Her career has spanned PR, marketing, and beyond. But what we love most about her is the joy and enthusiasm she brings to everything she does. Read her interview about her style, her life, and her new company. Also shop her curated collection, including her top picks from our fall and winter line. 

About your style...

"Feel good about what you wear and don’t be afraid to express yourself"

 

How does your wardrobe reflect your personality? How would you describe your style?

My son calls it the “the villain look,” but I am happiest when comfort meets a touch of middle-age badass. Just a bit of badass, like a leather cuff by local artisan Adelle Stoll. However interpreted that day. Or real cowboy boots so I can come to our design workshop and then head home to the barn and feed the animals before dark without changing boots. I love black jeans and a comfortable, wool or organic cotton sweater.

What's your favorite thing in your wardrobe? 

It is not about things. Clothes are about shared memories for me, like enjoying music or sharing wine is for many people. My favorite items have shared memories. These emerald green sandals with mustard colored gems that I got at a Prada outlet outside Florence with my sister years back are one of my absolute favorites.  I think of her and that crazy summer whenever I wear them.

What's your favorite Indigenous style you own? 

My favorite Indigenous piece—hard to choose! I think I would have to go with the boiled wool and alpaca coat. It is ridiculously soft and warm at the same time.

What's your biggest consideration when getting dressed? 

What needs to get done that day, and how to prepare my “uniform” for the day.

What's your best style tip?

Feel good about what you wear and don’t be afraid to express yourself and your values.

About your work...

"There has never been a better time for women to support each other in the way they shop and purchase."

Tell us about your new company! What need did you see that needed filling?

It started with a search for a wonderful blanket gift for my daughter and a New Year’s resolution and a desire to create the most beautiful blankets in the world. Come visit our website www.jgswitzer.com and see if you agree.

The world doesn’t need beauty, but people do. JG Switzer tries to sew beauty in everything we do, from our blankets to the newly released heritage sheep wool pillows we loom.

Where do you look for inspiration + what drives your passion?

I look back. And out. And then, I look in. And then I start all over again. The key is to stay open, see things for the first time as best you can, like a traveller in your own land and time.

By back, I take great inspiration and fixate on images, many of them painted by oil artists like Diego Valasquez, Egon Shiele, Gutsav Klimt and the fabrics and colors painted by John Singer Sargent. By out, I look outside at natural beauty. And by in, well, I look inside.

What advice do you have for other women thinking of taking the deep dive into starting their own business? 

Walk in service to others first, and learn what you can from mentors and leaders. You will never feel truly “ready,” but you can prepare best on the shoulders of others who are willing to teach and support you. Good luck! There has never been a better time for women to support each other in the way they shop and purchase.

Read more about her business-starting adventures in Forbes. 

"Starting a company in your fifties is wonderful. It’s not your first rodeo, but the main advantage is you have probably got a network of rodeo riders you can ask for advice."

About you...

 

"My Granny gave me a blue blanket when I left for college, nearly 40 years ago. I still have it. That little blanket has put down tracks and seen me through a lot." 

 

What are you most grateful for?

I am so very grateful for many things, especially this time of year, but this season I am most grateful to my husband for putting up with his blanket-obsessed wife. 

What's the best gift anyone ever gave you? 

My Granny gave me a blue blanket when I left for college, nearly 40 years ago. I still have it. That little blanket has put down tracks and seen me through a lot.

What do you do to care for yourself?

Make time to feed all 20 of our animals with my husband, every morning and every night.

What is your favorite place on the planet? 

Home.

ABOUT JG SWITZER... 

JG Switzer is a California, USA-based company that brings a sense of fashion and adventure to the bedroom.  Offering “Fine fibers for the well-dressed bed,” all JG Switzer Collections blend the masculine and feminine, the old with the new, organic with modern.  We set out in 2018 to design artful bedding for the exquisite home.  We also set out to rekindle heirloom blankets and bedding, and create keepsake pieces designed to be passed from one generation to the next.

 "The world doesn’t need beauty, but people do."

 

We believe it matters where things are made, from the Merino sheep and Cashmere goats to the production of the high grade, weighty silk satins. Our yardage is sourced from the very highest quality, ethical suppliers and is always 100% natural fabrics and fibers. We also have our own mill, named Luna the Loom, the only one of her kind on the West Coast.

Follow Jessica's journey on the JG Switzer blog, Boring Bedding Begone, and on Instagram.

SHOP HER CURATED COLLECTION