They control the style and the thatch clasps firmly (4,5)
I believe the answer is:
hair grips
'they control the style and the thatch' is the definition.
I don't know anything about this answer so I cannot tell whether this works.
'clasps firmly' is the wordplay.
I cannot really understand how this works, but
'clasps' could be 'grips' ('grip' can be a synonym of 'clasp') and 'grips' is found within the answer.
The remaining letters 'hair' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
Can you help me to learn more?
I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution?
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