Scarnato's Short Answer: "I Didn't Wear Less Clothes"

Thu., Apr. 12, 2007 2:51 PM PDT by Joal Ryan

Simon Cowell hurt Haley Scarnato's legs.

Make that, Cowell's comments about the American Idol contestant's amply displayed lower limbs hurt, Scarnato said Thursday.

"It's just legs. It is what it is—it's just legs," Scarnato said in a press conference the day after her Idol elimination.

Scarnato's collection of sweatband-sized shorts made her one of the most buzzed-about contestants, with the buzz centering on whether her clothes, or lack thereof, were drawing more votes than her vocals.

On Tuesday's Latin-song night, Cowell took in Scarnato's performance of "Turn the Beat Around," as accompanied by a pair of pants last seen in a Nair commercial, and judged: "I think you have a very good tactic at the moment, Haley: Wear the least amount of clothes as possible."

Scarnato called the remark "frustrating."

"I'm just going out there to perform and sing," Scarnato said.

Scarnato told reporters she did not speak to Cowell after her exit Wednesday night. It was unclear if this was by choice or circumstance. Past contestants routinely have noted that Idol's harshest judge offers pep talks, and even kind words, once their runs have ended.

Throughout the interview, Scarnato insisted that she hadn't been trying to dress less for success.

"I didn't go shorter. I didn't wear less clothes," Scarnato said. "...I never changed my look from Hollywood week [when] I showed my midriff a bit."

Rather, the 24-year-old wedding singer from San Antonio said, she was staying true to who she is.

"I just tried to do the best I could do, and that was that," she said.

When asked if she thought her collection of shorts and skirts would help people focus on her voice, Scarnato sounded as if she'd had her fill of questions about her collection of shorts and skirts.

"I didn't think it was going to be that distracting," Scarnato said.

Scarnato said she never considered changing her fashion ways, which went in a noticeably shorter direction last month on British Invasion night--song: "Tell Him"; clothes: go-go dancer get-up, minus the boots; Cowell comment: "You naughty little thing."

"You get so much feedback from everybody, and they're just like, keep it," Scarnato said.

Scarnato did not elaborate on who comprised "everybody," or whether they were really bummed in gym class Thursday.

Eventually, Scarnato allowed she might have tried a new look on the show's upcoming country-music night.

"If I was going to be here next week, I was going to wear a choir robe," Scarnato said.