Barack Obama apparently wants this unlikely accessory

When he's not busy reviewing wife Michelle Obama's memoir or dancing at Beyonce's concert (and doing many more important things I'm sure), Barack Obama's busy adding to his fashion collection it seems.

According to the New York Times, he's in fact after a particularly unlikely accessory: Aretha Franklin's hat. But not just any hat, the silver bow hat she wore to perform at his inauguration as US President in 2009.

The legendary singer passed away last year, it seemed without a will, meaning her estate would be distributed equally amongst her four sons.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

However some handwritten wills have recently been found in her home which could put that into question. This sadly means that her family are now in the midst of a bitter court battle in Michigan, as according to Michigan Law, a handwritten will can be accepted even without witnesses, as long as it's signed.

So her assets might not be distributed as equally as previously thought, as the judge is now also looking at giving out keepsakes to non-family members who have requested it, such as Barack.

Time will tell whether he gets his hat or not.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.