For the students lined up outside the Brightleaf Ballroom of the Millennium Hotel Wednesday morning, the lure of discounted designer jeans was sufficient incentive to sacrifice those precious extra hours of sleep.
Behind the ballroom doors awaited 1,500 pieces of women's designer clothing discounted by 50 to 70 percent.
University Denim-a company that buys overstock and samples from designer clothing companies and sells them to college students at reduced prices-hosted the three-day jean sale.
More than 500 avid shoppers flocked to the Millennium as the sale kicked off Wednesday, and eager students continued to arrive Thursday.
Though many came from Duke, several students made the trip from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
They learned of the shopaholic's dream event through multiple sources, including facebook.com advertisements and flyers posted around campus.
Word of mouth also played a key role, as students mentioned the positive feedback of peers who attended last year's sale.
Several shoppers said they purchase designer jeans on a regular basis but were drawn to the sale by University Denim's low prices.
If the thrill of rummaging through the ubiquitous racks of discounted jeans was not enough, however, students said they were happy that some of their money would be donated to charity.
"It was nice to have a discount and to know that at least a portion of it was going to benefit Hurricane Katrina relief," said sophomore Jillian Murphy, who was among the first shoppers to arrive when the denim sale began Wednesday morning.
Most students said they were aware that 10 percent of the proceeds would benefit Hurricane Katrina relief efforts through the American Red Cross.
Sasha Matloob, University Denim's president, added that an another five percent will be distributed between two smaller charities.
In addition to its philanthropic efforts, Matloob said, University Denim strives to promote up-and-coming designers.
The sale featured brands that are popular in larger cities and metropolitan areas but have yet to be embraced by many college students.
In addition to several styles of jeans, the sale also offered shoppers colorful T-shirts and denim skirts.
Several shoppers indicated that they had anticipated browsing through jeans from more well-known brands but noted that they nonetheless liked the merchandise offered.
"The selection wasn't what I expected, but I was pleasantly surprised," Murphy said. "The jeans there weren't necessarily the most popular brands, but I found a pair that fit well and that I love."
Matloob said 300 students made purchases Wednesday.
He added that he considered the sale to be a success and was satisfied with students' reactions.
"We got great feedback from the students," Matloob said. "Everyone seemed to be excited."
Sophomore Nathalie Basile fit Matloob's description.
"Denim is a necessity," she said with a smile as she sifted through a rack of jeans Thursday morning.
"I have a shopping addiction," she added. "Plus, it's for a good cause."
The sale will continue at the Millennium Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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