Gleam with Jeans or Shift to Thrift?

Ok, let's be real. My initial thought when hearing about the compact challenge was, well - screw that. I wasn't going to give up my consumption habits for a 10 week course that would probably not have a major impact on me after the final exam. So, being the sometimes stubborn person that I am, I went out that following day to Sacramento's Nordstrom Rack to pick up a pair of Rock and Republic