Tie bar vs tie clip – is there any difference between both? Well, today not only do we talk about what is functions of tie bar and tie clip but what’s the difference between tie bar and tie clip, or in simple words tie bar vs tie clip.
Tie bar vs Tie clip
The tie bar and tie clip are the same and slightly different from each other. Well, in simple they both look the same and do almost the same in things which are, giving detail and a clean look to the outfit.
- Tie clip and tie bar are small metal pieces that come in a lot of different colors and used to keep the tie in place and avoid it from swinging here and there.
The only difference between tie bar and tie clip is – - Tie bar simply slides over your shirt and tie in a way that it holds or attaches the tie to the shirt.
- The tie clip is open and does the same function as the tie bar by holding the shirt and tie together.
- Both tie clip and tie bar come in the same shape which is horizontal and made of metal. The most commonly used tie bars and tie clips are silver and grey.
Both tie bar and tie clip share the common parameters, which means that they should be ⅔ of your tie. In simple words tie bar and tie clip should not exceed the width of your tie. It should be more than half the width of your tie and less than the full width of your tie.
While selecting a tie bar or tie clip, one should know to match the color of their tie bar with a button, watch and tie in a way that they complement each other. Silver and grey complement most of the outfits.
Picking up the right tie bar
Picking up the right tie bar for your outfit, one must also check the width of the tie bar or tie clip. Most tie bars come between the range of 1″ to 2.25, where one is the narrow one, and 2.25 is the widest of all.
You can also select the middle range which is 1.25″ and 1.75″.
Picking the right tie bar is one thing, but the placement of the tie bar is the key here. Wearing a tie bar in the wrong way can decrease the outlook of your outfit instead of enhancing it.
So, where should you place your tie bar? The best place to place your tie bar is from the middle of your tie to slightly up from the middle.
You can call this a placement area for your tie. Avoid wearing a tie bar too high or too low from the placement area, else it will work in the opposite way for you.
While clipping the tie clip in the right place, you should also think about the upper layer of your jacket.
What do I mean by that? Well, if you are wearing a three-piece or two pice suit, you should make sure that your tie bar or tie clip is visible and not covered by your upper layer button (jacket button) or from the jacket itself.
The tie bar should always be visible. You are not wearing a tie bar for only securing ties in one place but also to add the professional, edge, and clean Outlook in your outfit.
What outfit really suits tie bar
One of favorite question about tie bar is when you should wear these and with what outfit.
Well, if I have to answer by assuming that we live in 1920, my answer would be to wear a tie bar or tie clips with a suit only, you don’t need a tie bar unless you are some professional.
But guess what was true in 1920, it’s completely the opposite today. In simple words today you can wear a tie bar with a lot of outfits, forget suits you can wear tie bars with semi-formal outfits like jeans and a white dress shirt.
You can wear tie and tie clips with a pink shirt and chinos unless you have tie on you.
Tie bar and tie clips may not be an important accessory item for men in the early days. But today it’s all different, you have to pay attention to detail to get an edge.
I would also suggest you not only limit yourself to silver and grey options, these surely would be your first buy but to match your tie bar with semi-formal you have a lot of options.
Though tie bar and tie clips are almost the same, but the third cousin of tie bar that confuses a lot of people is tie pin.
If you know what is tie then it’s great because a lot of people get confused between these three.
So, what really is tie pin and how is it differ from its cousins? Or is it the same? Well, tie pin may reflect the similarities of tie bar and tie clip but it is slightly different.
In simple words tie pin is made up of a tie bar and chains. Tie pins are more like on the Royal side and less on the professional side.
Today lot of men prefer tie pin as an alternative option for different occasions.
Tie clip and tie bar, a small piece of accessory yet one that can make a man stand out. While this may a little piece but it has more than a century history. A lot of people don’t know that that this small piece may get its true recognition in recent years but actually, it became popular back in 1920 when silk tie boomed the fashion industry.
Well, it doesn’t matter how long is it in the fashion industry what matters is how important it is, and there is no doubt that tie clip and tie bar adds detail to your outfit and makes the outfit look more professional and clean
Conclusion- As discussed above there is a slight difference between tie bar and tie clip that is negligible. Both tie clip and tie performs the same function. You can go with any option or in my suggestion experiment with both and check which goes best with your style. Last but not least is tie pin and I think you should have all three pieces in your wardrobe. Having all three gives you the option to experiment according to the occasion and your outfit.
