According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 271.99% higher in 2026 versus 1921 (a $27,199,139.99 difference in value).
Between 1921 and 2026: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.26% per year. In other words, apparel costing $10,000,000 in the year 1921 would cost $37,199,139.99 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.80% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1921: Pricing changed by -20.01%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1921-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1921 (-10.94%), inflation for apparel was much lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $10,000,000 beginning in 1921. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | $10,000,000.00 | -20.01% |
| 1922 | $7,785,475.39 | -22.15% |
| 1923 | $7,740,086.00 | -0.58% |
| 1924 | $7,706,641.18 | -0.43% |
| 1925 | $7,563,306.26 | -1.86% |
| 1926 | $7,455,805.06 | -1.42% |
| 1927 | $7,310,081.22 | -1.95% |
| 1928 | $7,176,301.96 | -1.83% |
| 1929 | $7,102,245.58 | -1.03% |
| 1930 | $7,011,466.79 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $6,481,127.57 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $5,699,952.22 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $5,312,947.92 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $5,868,913.70 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $5,956,117.46 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $6,022,455.81 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $6,299,570.00 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $6,301,958.91 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $6,199,235.55 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $6,251,791.69 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $6,540,850.45 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $7,654,085.05 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $7,986,144.29 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $8,545,150.50 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $8,984,710.94 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $9,859,053.99 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $11,426,182.51 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $12,185,857.62 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $11,705,685.62 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $11,548,017.20 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $12,591,973.24 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $12,455,805.06 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $12,376,970.86 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $12,331,581.46 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $12,293,358.82 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $12,541,806.02 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $12,756,808.41 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $12,806,975.63 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $12,907,310.08 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $13,100,812.23 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $13,203,535.59 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $13,277,591.97 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $13,440,038.22 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $13,554,706.16 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $13,683,707.60 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $14,051,600.57 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $14,624,940.28 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $15,406,115.62 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $16,292,403.25 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $16,963,688.49 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $17,513,139.03 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $17,876,254.18 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $18,530,817.01 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $19,904,443.38 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $20,790,731.01 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $21,569,517.44 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $22,534,639.27 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $23,325,370.28 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $24,347,826.09 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $26,070,234.11 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $27,312,470.14 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $28,029,144.77 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $28,721,930.24 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $29,249,880.55 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $30,107,501.19 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $30,363,115.15 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $31,698,518.87 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $33,074,534.16 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $33,994,266.60 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $35,570,950.79 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $36,896,798.85 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $37,804,586.72 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $38,315,814.62 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $38,241,758.24 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $37,828,475.87 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $37,754,419.49 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $38,084,089.82 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $38,134,257.05 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $37,637,362.64 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $37,145,246.06 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $36,483,516.48 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $35,554,228.38 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $34,651,218.35 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $34,524,605.83 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $34,268,991.88 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $34,242,713.81 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $34,113,210.70 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $34,087,028.19 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $34,422,790.25 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $34,257,931.20 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $35,005,446.73 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $36,196,249.40 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $36,524,988.06 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $36,554,491.16 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $36,092,451.03 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $36,133,397.04 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $36,009,173.44 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $36,021,333.01 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $35,561,872.91 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $33,849,593.88 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $34,684,949.83 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $36,430,219.78 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $37,432,967.03 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $37,692,116.58 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $37,833,149.46 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $37,199,139.99 | -1.68%* |
* 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 | 131.975 | 129.763 |