You can view, save and delete any story that appears on GazetteNET here for up to 30 days. To add a story, simply click on the icon next to any headline.       Wednesday, April 20, 2005  Fashionable footwear, Valley style CAROL LOLLIS Animal prints, shown here on clogs by Dansko at Strada in Northampton, continue to be popular. New for spring from Rieker, at top, is a shoe that's part ballerina flat, part sport shoe, and, from Pikolinos, a driving moccasin in teal. - FEATURED ADVERTISERS | SEE ALL - Click to view original size This ad ran in Spring Fashion 2007 4/18/2007 Click here to browse all ads I always like to read fashion stories from afar that key us Valley folks in to trends that will show up here and everywhere. At least, that's what they're supposed to do. They're also a reminder that styles here tend to change a tad more slowly and to be more conservative, comfortable and casual than what you'll see in, say, New York. Or to put it another way - and I prefer to think of it this way - it's a reminder that Valley women know their own minds. And their own feet. » read more...    Dream dressing rooms, Mirrors, lighting, space all make a difference I love to shop, but I can't always afford to buy. So, instead of depriving myself, I go to downtown Northampton and try on all manner of beautiful outfits - all the while telling myself I'm going to save up my pennies and buy them someday.  Hey, baby - new maternity fashions feature body-hugging style I am pregnant - about 7 1/2 months, by the time you read this. Before I go any further and discuss the previously unimagined fashion challenges this has wrought, let me start with a tip to the nonpregnant among you: Notwithstanding the fact that beauty doesn't just come in a size 4, it is a bad idea to equate pregnancy with obesity. Whether your pregnant friend, sister, spouse, whatever, gains 7 pounds or 70, a pregnant woman is never fat. And if you breathe so much as a whisper of disagreement with this sentiment, and we read in your obituary that your pregnant wife rolled over on you ''accidentally'' and smothered you in the middle of the night, we pregnant chicks will know that you deserved it.  Update your look with something a little trendy Most of us barely have time to figure out fashion trends, let alone decide which are the most flattering, most achievable and within our budget.  The cure for winter feet If there's one fashion to be avoided this season, it's this: pairing those lovely, open-toed sandals or slides with ugly, winter-battered feet.  Suited to spring Each season is a fresh wardrobe start. For spring, focus on suits. ''Ideally, look for a skirt suit in a stiffer, lightweight fabric - like cotton mixed with some synthetic to give it shape, in a lighter neutral color,'' says Stacy London, fashion expert on TLC's ''What Not to Wear.'' ''My favorite is khaki because it doesn't show dirt as easily as cream or white but looks spring-appropriate and great when mixed with brights.''  STYLE BRIEFS Max Azria's Parallel world NEW YORK (AP) - Designer Max Azria, known for his BCBG collection, has partnered with Sears for his contemporary line, Parallel.  Not for housework, high-end jeans carry $1,000 price tag NEW YORK - Designer jeans costing $150 can hardly be called expensive now that Calvin Stewart has entered the fray.  Sum of the parts, Perfect accessories add up in this stylish equation Nothing gives you more fashion personality than accessories. The handbag you carry, the shoes you wear, the way you tie a scarf, tilt the hat on your head or pile on the bangles all speak volumes about your style sensibility.  Brand-new bag, Colorful designs will leave you green with envy Change your mood, change your handbag. This spring it's easy to hand off your everyday handbag and switch to something with a little more style ... maybe even something with a special logo.  Fashion's runways filled with arrivals from Asia, Africa and exotic islands NEW YORK - When most people go on vacation, they bring back souvenirs. When fashion designers go on vacation, they bring back the ideas that will become their next collections.  STYLE BRIEFS For women of color, 'urban exotic' hues When model Iman developed her self-named cosmetics line in 1994, she focused on women of color: mixed race, Native American, Hispanic, Asian, Indian, African and Middle Eastern. Wednesday, April 13, 2005  Buyers aware: A savvy search for wearable wares Charles Abel Joseph Rich, owner of J. Rich in Northampton, pairs a Calvin Klein suit with his favorite accessory discovery of the year: a Fornasetti tie from Italy. The $85 tie sports a cool skyscraper design. - FEATURED ADVERTISERS | SEE ALL - Click to view original size This ad ran in Spring Fashion 2007 4/18/2007 Click here to browse all ads For the clothing-obsessed among us, it may seem that one of the perks of being in the retail clothing business is the buying end of the job. Traveling to New York, Boston or Las Vegas, Nev., to browse all the hottest lines and designs, learning about the leading edge of the coming season's trends months before anyone else - what's not to love? » read more...    Hot picks We asked the stores we consulted for this story to show us their favorite finds from their buying trips for spring. Here's what they chose.  T-shirts, already a wardrobe staple, are now considered 'fashion' NEW YORK (AP) Everyone's got them but no one has enough. That's the status of T-shirts in the American wardrobe.  The wheel turns: Color is big in men's fashions for spring THINKING khaki pants and a black shirt this spring? Think again. This spring's men's styles are bold and colorful; these styles don't ask for attention, they demand it.  The preppy polo is back, but this time it's more Palm Beach than Princeton THIS spring, forget spaghetti-strap tank tops, tube tops and belly-baring baby Ts. For once, fashion trends are taking a turn toward the conservative with a style borrowed from old-fashioned preparatory schools and the centuries-old sport of rugby - the polo shirt.  Sunglasses with star power It's time to ditch those outdated, flimsy sunglasses bought in a panic while on vacation five years ago. With super-flattering aviators topping this season's must-haves, now is the time to invest in stylish summer shades.  Me, too: U2's Bono launches a socially conscious clothing company NEW YORK (AP) - Bono is now another type of frontman. U2's lead singer - and most recognizable face - is charged with raising awareness and interest in the new fashion brand Edun.  Man, there's no shame in looking good Please do not call Chris Oliver a metrosexual. Yes, the 33-year-old account manager wears boot-cut jeans, paid a silly amount of money at a high-end salon to find the perfect haircut and uses a dab of gooey product on it every morning.  Equestrian calendar A listing of local equine events from April through October.  Company's here for a lonely horse , Goats, llamas others share living space Because they are herd animals, most horses don't like to live alone. But in many cases, their owners may not want or be able to afford another horse. The solutions to such a dilemma can surprising and creative.  A Grand Canyon ride on muleback Like many horse lovers, I have long dreamed of vacationing on horseback. Camping in the Rockies with mustangs comes to mind, or cantering from inn to inn through the English countryside. Two months ago, the dream came true.  Enjoying the comradery of the chase Equine group organizes N.E. hunting events It's one of the oldest equine sports, and even though it doesn't garner the levels of attention it does across the Atlantic, fox hunting is alive and well in New England.  Going, going gone at local auctions The public sale of horses and tack at auction is a tradition that traces back to 10th-century Normandy, and the first public record, a permit for two ''horse fairs'' in Longford, Ireland, dates to 1615.  The manpower behind the horsepower Think your barn chores are overwhelming? Try maintaining 52 acres that include 17 horse barns; 632 stalls; a half-mile track; an infield 200-by-100-foot outdoor stonedust show ring; a 250-by-150-foot indoor arena seating 500 people; grandstand seating for 1,500 people; and 2000 parking spaces  Equine podiatrist: Keep feet au natural Doreen Kirby of Orchard Hill Farm in Belchertown believes in going barefoot all year long. No, she's not asking people to throw away their boots, but she is one of a growing number of equestrians questioning the necessity for traditional metal horse shoes and letting their horses' feet stay au natural.  A healing touch for horse and rider A woman who can trace her family roots to the naming of the original Morgan horses has developed a life's work to help riders and their horses heal.  'Romeo and Juliet' on stage at College Church After five years of bringing Shakespeare's comedies to the stage, The Academy Players of Turners Falls will perform one of his tragedies for the first time this weekend.  VALLEY READINGS The following author appearances, readings and book events are planned for the coming week in the Valley:  Book casts light on mine tragedy 'The Deep Dark' tells of 1972 fire in Sunshine Mine SPOKANE, Wash. - When fire broke out in Idaho's Sunshine Mine in 1972, there was little panic. Miners knew there wasn't much to burn a mile down a wet mine. But deadly carbon monoxide killed 91 men in one of the nation's worst mining accidents.