According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 630.67% higher in 2026 versus 1917 (a $34,056,279.32 difference in value).
Between 1917 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.84% per year. In other words, apparel costing $5,400,000 in the year 1917 would cost $39,456,279.32 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.01% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1917: Pricing changed by 15.62%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1917-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1917 (17.84%), inflation for apparel was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $5,400,000 beginning in 1917. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1917 | $5,400,000.00 | 15.62% |
| 1918 | $6,802,373.35 | 25.97% |
| 1919 | $10,055,682.34 | 47.83% |
| 1920 | $12,897,398.45 | 28.26% |
| 1921 | $10,316,932.91 | -20.01% |
| 1922 | $8,032,222.73 | -22.15% |
| 1923 | $7,985,394.80 | -0.58% |
| 1924 | $7,950,890.00 | -0.43% |
| 1925 | $7,803,012.32 | -1.86% |
| 1926 | $7,692,104.06 | -1.42% |
| 1927 | $7,541,761.75 | -1.95% |
| 1928 | $7,403,742.58 | -1.83% |
| 1929 | $7,327,339.11 | -1.03% |
| 1930 | $7,233,683.25 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $6,686,535.83 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $5,880,602.46 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $5,481,332.72 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $6,054,918.88 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $6,144,886.42 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $6,213,327.25 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $6,499,224.10 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $6,501,688.73 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $6,395,709.72 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $6,449,931.54 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $6,748,151.53 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $7,896,668.19 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $8,239,251.48 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $8,815,974.44 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $9,269,466.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $10,171,519.85 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $11,788,315.84 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $12,572,067.55 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $12,076,677.32 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $11,914,011.87 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $12,991,054.31 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $12,850,570.52 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $12,769,237.79 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $12,722,409.86 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $12,682,975.81 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $12,939,297.12 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $13,161,113.65 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $13,212,870.84 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $13,316,385.21 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $13,516,020.08 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $13,621,999.09 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $13,698,402.56 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $13,865,997.26 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $13,984,299.41 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $14,117,389.32 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $14,496,942.04 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $15,088,452.76 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $15,894,386.13 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $16,808,763.12 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $17,501,323.60 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $18,068,188.04 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $18,442,811.50 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $19,118,119.58 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $20,535,280.69 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $21,449,657.69 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $22,253,126.43 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $23,248,836.15 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $24,064,628.02 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $25,119,488.82 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $26,896,485.62 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $28,178,092.20 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $28,917,480.60 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $29,632,222.73 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $30,176,905.52 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $31,061,706.98 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $31,325,422.18 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $32,703,149.25 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $34,122,774.99 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $35,071,656.78 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $36,698,311.27 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $38,066,179.83 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $39,002,738.48 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $39,530,168.87 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $39,453,765.40 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $39,027,384.76 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $38,950,981.29 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $39,291,099.95 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $39,342,857.14 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $38,830,214.51 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $38,322,501.14 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $37,639,799.18 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $36,681,058.88 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $35,749,429.48 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $35,618,804.20 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $35,355,089.00 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $35,327,978.09 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $35,194,370.61 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $35,167,358.28 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $35,513,761.75 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $35,343,677.77 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $36,114,884.53 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $37,343,427.66 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $37,682,585.12 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $37,713,023.28 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $37,236,339.57 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $37,278,583.30 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $37,150,422.64 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $37,162,967.59 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $36,688,945.69 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $34,922,398.90 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $35,784,230.03 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $37,584,813.33 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $38,619,340.94 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $38,886,703.79 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $38,937,253.31 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $39,456,279.32 | 1.33%* |
* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.
Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Apparel:
| Year | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
| CPI | 15.000 | 15.050 | 15.792 | 18.258 | 23.000 | 34.000 | 43.608 | 34.883 | 27.158 | 27.000 | 26.883 | 26.383 | 26.008 | 25.500 | 25.033 | 24.775 | 24.458 | 22.608 | 19.883 | 18.533 | 20.473 | 20.777 | 21.008 | 21.975 | 21.983 | 21.625 | 21.808 | 22.817 | 26.700 | 27.858 | 29.808 | 31.342 | 34.392 | 39.858 | 42.508 | 40.833 | 40.283 | 43.925 | 43.450 | 43.175 | 43.017 | 42.883 | 43.750 | 44.500 | 44.675 | 45.025 | 45.700 | 46.058 | 46.317 | 46.883 | 47.283 | 47.733 | 49.017 | 51.017 | 53.742 | 56.833 | 59.175 | 61.092 | 62.358 | 64.642 | 69.433 | 72.525 | 75.242 | 78.608 | 81.367 | 84.933 | 90.942 | 95.275 | 97.775 | 100.192 | 102.033 | 105.025 | 105.917 | 110.575 | 115.375 | 118.583 | 124.083 | 128.708 | 131.875 | 133.658 | 133.400 | 131.958 | 131.700 | 132.850 | 133.025 | 131.292 | 129.575 | 127.267 | 124.025 | 120.875 | 120.433 | 119.542 | 119.450 | 118.998 | 118.907 | 120.078 | 119.503 | 122.111 | 126.265 | 127.411 | 127.514 | 125.902 | 126.045 | 125.612 | 125.654 | 124.052 | 118.079 | 120.993 | 127.081 | 130.579 | 131.483 | 131.654 | 133.409 |