There have been many forms of tie-control devised since the 19th century, when ties first became a regular part of fashion. Clips, chains, pins have all been used to do one simple thing: to keep a tie from flapping, falling or otherwise presenting anything other than a neat appearance. A tie clip (also tie slide, tie bar, or tie clasp) is just one form of a neckwear accessory that clips a tie

Necktie

A necktie is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the ascot tie, bow tie, bolo tie, and the clip-on tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Neck...

 to the underlying shirt

Shirt

A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body. Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for almost any garment other than outerwear such as sweaters, coats, jackets, or undergarments such as bras, vests or base layers...

 front, preventing it from swinging and ensuring the tie hangs straight, resulting in a neat, uniform

Uniform

A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...

appearance. Rising to prominence in the 1920s, the tie bar gradually replaced the tie pin.

Tie clips are usually made of metal and often have minor decorative patterns. Some tie clips have a small badge indicating membership to a club or an affiliation in the same way that ties themselves often have, or some other commemorative token. Occasionally, tie clips made of leather or chain are seen.