Smart former President shunning Republican area (4)

I believe the answer is:

chic

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'smart' is the definition.
(both can mean stylish)

I cannot understand how the remainder of the clue works.

(Other definitions for chic that I've seen before include "Fashionably smart" , "Elegant and sophisticated" , "Smart and stylish, in a French kind of way" , "Unwanted sounds" , "Elegant and stylishly fashionable" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

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