Brandon Sim is vice president and portfolio manager at Silvercrest Asset Management Group, a boutique financial services firm where he manages or assists in the management of over $2 billion in client assets. He has been a client of Alan Flusser Custom since 2006.
What started or shaped your interest in clothing?
My interest in clothing comes from my dad. He is an extremely sharp dresser and I've always looked up to him. He was an investment banker who traveled frequently and had many things made in London. Now, people who know us both always mention how similar we look. I take that as a compliment.
Do you feel it's important to wear custom tailored clothing in your role at Silvercrest? What does it convey in a professional context?
Dressing well is important in my business. It is easy to say that someone may be drawn to Silvercrest because of our strong track record or the depth of our management teams but at the same time it’s very important that our clients have confidence in the people they interact with personally. I take pride in my appearance because I think it shows a level of respect, which translates to the client experience. We take that very seriously. That is an important part of who we are beyond the dollars and cents.
What was the reason you initially came to Alan Flusser, and why have you continued to have clothes made here?
I first visited Alan about 12 years ago when I was relatively new to the asset management business. I had just read Dressing the Man and a colleague who knew Alan invited a few of us to the Custom Shop. I was very impressed by the level of personal attention and insight and we all ended up buying suits. Since I'm a long-term investor I'm still wearing that same suit from 12 years ago. Alan has taken it in a little since then but just like a good manager it still outperforms so to speak so I've held onto it. Also, Alan's advice has been spot-on over the years. If a wardrobe is an investment, and I think it is, then Alan has a strong track record and I've continued to stick with him. Whereas I am a financial advisor Alan is a style advisor. What I’ve learned from Alan about dressing is that essentially building a "look" is a lot like building a portfolio in that you've got to have strong fundamentals, but the right amount of diversification is key for success. If you stick to that methodology and you've done your research, then you should do ok with your investments whether those investments are in clothing or securities.
Brandon’s suits demonstrate that sober needn’t be boring.
Although made up in business-friendly lightweight worsted wool, these are clearly clothes made for a man with an affinity and aptitude for dressing above and beyond professional necessity. Well-proportioned peaked lapels give Brandon’s single-breasted jackets a touch of elan without compromising their conservative elegance (this was, after all, the cut favored by the debonair arch-Tory British politician Anthony Eden). Slanted hacking pockets (with a ticket pocket) complement the diagonal sweep of the lapels, helping to define the waist and impart a sense of movement. The soft, natural shoulders are comfortable and unpretentious: not for nothing were they the hallmark of blue-blood American tailoring for generations. The trousers of the navy and grey suits are trim without being tight, while the full-cut trousers of the glen plaid suit make for a smooth and balanced transition from the jacket. Brandon commissioned the latter suit back in 2006, and it’s still in his regular rotation. Good proportions never go out of style.
It is of course in putting together one’s outfit for the day that a dresser truly gets to display and play with his sartorial acumen. Above, Brandon displays mastery of Alan’s principles of mixed-scale pattern matching by harmoniously combining a greyish-brown glen plaid suit, a blue micro-check blue shirt, paisley pocket square, and one of our bold “Arny’s” striped ties. Below, Brandon’s solid color suits and finely patterned shirts provide the perfect staging for playful neckwear. These ensembles are visually appealing and interesting without calling attention to themselves. They project confidence and competence, sartorial and otherwise.
