WASHINGTON - It's not US President-elect Donald Trump's hair, but his tie that has now got people a-Twitter.

As Mr Trump got off an airplane on Thursday (Dec 1), the wind mussed his hair and flipped his tie up, revealing that two pieces of Scotch tape held the two ends of his tie together.

He was on his way to the Carrier plant in Indianapolis to announce a deal to keep the factory in the US, in exchange for US$7 million (S$10 million) in state incentives.

The moment was captured by photographer Timothy Clary and sent to media around the world by Agence-France Presse.

It was a sartorial faux pas that resulted in some tongue-in-cheek commentary and plenty of barbs online.

"Tie clips, after all, are for the Establishment," said New York Magazine.

Men's magazine GQ, highly critical of the improvised patch, also recommended a tie bar.

"We can overlook the fact that he uses a Windsor Knot over our preferred four-in-hand style, but the biggest factor contributing to his menswear fail is that he just ties his neckwear way too long, a good four inches beyond where your tie should stop," wrote Jake Woolf.

"And today, we learned a very unfortunate by product of that sartorial choice: Donald Trump, the future president of the United States, scotch tapes the back of his tie to the front."

Others saw it as a metaphor for the country, and for Sino-US ties, which are held together "by tape".