LICK THE GLASS...

The French call window shopping leche la vitrine or "lick the glass." That frisky idiom sums up the delicious envy that is window shopping--it has nothing to do with promotions or "extended store hours" or SALE! SALE! SALE! The pleasure of streetside shopping is walking about with empty pockets, perusing the pageant of merchandized glitz behind the plate glass. That unuttered pact between storeowner and browser--ogle, covet, then buy--has the fun-filled slow fizz of a seduction. And at the holidays, stores outdo themselves to flirt with the street.

Except for this year.

In fact, some of Portland's most visible (and sometimes notorious) shop windows have entirely dropped the snowball. Before anyone starts howling excuses (terrorism, the economy, glue-gun phobia), let's get one thing on the page. A great window display doesn't require fiber optics, cage dancers or a truckload of cash--just a little civic spirit, the desire to engage the public's imagination. These days we need visible signs of community more than mega-markdowns.

That's why I've created the first annual "Window Wonderland Awards," where we not only recognize the do-gooders, but also spotlight a few of the bigger snowflakes.

THE FLAKES:

Abercrombie & Fitch (625 SW Broadway): So prominent. Right on the MAX line. And all we get is a big (really big) Chuck Close-style headshot of some dumpling-plump Santa clone. After Sept. 11, A&F decided to pull its winter 2001 marketing campaign (and donate production costs to relief efforts) because its controversial, wet-lipped Lolita imagery and porn-star interviews were "out of step" with the national mood. Well, whitewashing those normally slutty windows with a straight-ahead St. Nick neither fills the void nor changes the tone. Overall attitude: It's a stopgap, and it looks like it.

Nordstrom (601 SW Broadway): Why? Because we saw Olive the Other Reindeer last year (and I think the year before that too). There was a book. It was cute. But if Nordstrom is serious about leading posh retail into the next century, why trot out the last millennium's trimmings? And their self-congratulatory blurb on the window about waiting until after Thanksgiving to deck the halls? It has overkill written all over it.

Meier & Frank (621 SW 5th Ave.): Tradition, schmadition. A holiday rite for many, M&F's "12-Days-of-Animal-Hijinks" display could be considered beyond criticism. But after many years, those animatronic flying sea turtles, pirouetting ostriches and banjo-strumming dogs are starting to give me the willies.

THE STARS:

Dish N Dat (827 NW 23rd Ave.): Irony never looked so cheap and so good. In a burst of budget genius, they ornamented their windows with candy-cane-striped peppermint car fresheners. Total outlay couldn't have been more than 10 bucks, but brother, what a scented spectacle.

Gilgamesh (2800 NE Sandy Blvd.): More '50s tinsel trees than you can shake a yule log at. Silver ones, white ones, flocked ones shimmering in all-American aluminum glory. If you're seeking a patriotic symbol of holiday cheer, look no farther than this formerly bleak corner of Sandy Boulevard.

Mario's (921 SW Morrison St.): On Southwest 9th Avenue, around the corner from Mario's women's store, a jewel-box window painted Granny Smith green displays a scarf amid many spools of decorative gilt ribbon. The ribbons untwine in sexy disarray. It's intimate. It's enticing. Just like licking the glass should be.

To let us know about special events or sales, send information to Elizabeth Dye,

, 822 SW 10th Ave., Portland, OR 97205 (fax 243-1115), at least 10 days prior to publication.

Itisness Studios will sponsor a daylong craftshop and potluck featuring creative demonstrations and artwork by local artisans.

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WWeek 2015