She was the United States Senator for New York for eight years and yet Hillary Rodham Clinton is guilty of committing the ultimate fashion faux pas for 'any self-respecting New York City woman.' In spite of the claim made by Manhattan's favourite fictional fashionista, Carrie Bradshaw, that a scrunchie would never be sported by a native New Yorker, Mrs Clinton consistently ties her hair up with the Eighties hair accessory - a habit some of her staffers would like to put end to.

According to one of Mrs Clinton's top aides, there is a general feeling that the scrunchie could be replaced by something more stylish.

'Some of us are looking to ban the scrunchies,' she confessed.

In a revealing feature by Elle about the Secretary of State's career trajectory and personal transformation, an aide explained that the reason behind the pulled back look was an age-old excuse: convenience.

'As a chick, it's a big pain in the butt. The weather is different, and you