The tie bar. Less than a decade ago, that little sliver of metal had been cast to the wayside of men’s style, a long-forgotten relic of a time when sharp-dressed men took pride in their finishing touches. Thankfully, fashion’s tastemakers snapped to it and put the tie bar back into rotation. Heavy rotation. As in, if you’re wearing a tie, you shouldn’t leave home without one.

The little sliver of metal makes shirt and tie combos come to life—but not every guy knows how it’s done. That’s why we’re here to help. Find out which one you should reach for first, and exactly where it should go, with these simple steps.