I’ve said it before: you’re not a retail pro until you do the shopping swagger outside your comfort zone.

Normally when I troll the Mount Pleasant Rd. strip, for instance, I hit faves like Boj Décor and The Bead Goes On — all magical shopping abodes for the décor and fashion accessory addict in me.

But when Toronto stylist Afiya Francisco invited me to hit the strip and check out some of the baby-related shops in anticipation of her first wee one due early July, I figured the time was ripe for a different retail rove.

Afiya’s a put-together gal. After cutting her teeth as a stylist for Canadian House & Home magazine and working at several other fashion publications she’s recently gone solo, launching her blog, www.thestylehouse.ca, and coordinating fashion shows for the new Shops at Don Mills and more.

The day we meet she’s looking impossibly chic and svelte for a lady who’s due in a month, with a purple maternity top and white cardigan over skinny jeans and white sneakers (Skinny jeans, by the way, that this non-pregger chick would look like a hippo in: I try not to hate her).

But hate her I can’t. Though we’re clearly in different phases of life we bond over shopping and fashion talk as we bop from baby shop to baby shop.

First we pop into Trish Haddad’s Bean Sprout. Trish has been in the baby and kid rag trade since 1995 and went from used to new clothing a few years ago.  Her new location across the street from her former shop is lovely, sporting crisp white fixturing and an expanded product selection.

Afiya and her hubby don’t know the sex of their wee one so gender-neutral baby wear is a must.

We ooh and ahhh over the three-piece “take me home” set in white. The jacket is kimono style and comes with a wee cap to keep baby’s head warm. Darling.

Afiya bags it in a 6-month size as mommy pals have warned her against stocking up on too many newborn items and forgetting about what baby will wear a few months in.

Handmade cloth dolls baby can chew and suck on are $9.99. Associate Lisa tells us there’s a wad of wool inside that absorbs the baby’s scent – talk about a personalized dolly. Afiya goes for one in orange, a gender-neutral hue that’s one of the season’s hottest colours to boot.

Speaking of trends, if you want your tot to look hip and keep warm, consider Baby Legs, a type of sock-legwarmer, $15.95 for a pair, which according to the label are “A fashion must for potty training, crawling, or just to be seen in.” They’re darling in a baby Flashdance kinda way.

565 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416-932-3727 www.beansprout.ca  

I probably would never have darkened the doors of a shop like Belly, but since Afiya recently did a photo shoot for the Globe and Mail modeling one of the boutique’s dresses we decide to take a gander.

I can see what associate Elizabeth Goldman means when she tells me non-pregnant woman shop here.

The Bella Band for $37 – essentially a big elastic band for the waist – is for newly pregnant women who can still fit into their regular pants, just not with the buttons or zipper done up. All mom-to-be has to do is plop the band over her trouser waistband to prevent those pants from falling down.

Brilliant: I’d so buy that one for those nights when a dinner nosh leads to a wee bit of overindulgence.

Speaking of, Elizabeth shows us a pair of stretchy black maternity pants, $150, that the gals in the shop have dubbed “buffet pants.” I could go ga-ga over fashion that lets you pig out.

There are some gorgeous dresses and some suiting as well — the latter apparently being a rare thing in the world of mat wear. The dress Afiya wore for the photo shoot, a multi-hued silk sheath by Liz Lange, about $335, is something I’d wear to a cocktail party.

The shop offers a nifty monogram service through the business Elizabeth runs, www.pineconesandseashells.com, where plush bunnies and doggies, about $35–45 and on display in the shop, are monogrammed on their ear. The service extends to crib sets and more.

615 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416-440-1734 www.bellymaternity.ca

We’ve got to cover all out kiddie bases, so into Mastermind Toys we go. In the baby and toddler section Afiya homes in on the wood toys section. The geometric sounding board, $19.95, is her fave.

We’re both attracted to the good old-fashioned toys like the big Sock Monkey for $26.95. But the more contemporary Sleep Sheep on the Go, a portable plush sound machine to help children sleep, $36.95, is on Afiya’s registry for good reason.

On the subject of registries: Afiya is a thoughtful mommy-to-be, selecting different stores in four quadrants of the city so well-wishers won’t have to travel the globe to get her a baby shower gifty.

I appreciate the sentiment as I’m baby shower-bound this month and will not be visiting the suburban store my pal is registered at.

Another old-time fave on her list is Sophie the Girafe from France  (that’s “giraffe” in English) – a teething toy made of natural rubber and non-toxic paint that’s been around since 1961. I dig that nod to the past plus the eco-consciousness.

639 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416- 440-0111 www.mastermindtoys.com

For more Kelly Gadzala follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KellyGadzala