According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 315.46% higher in 2025 versus 1921 (a $293,376.40 difference in value).
Between 1921 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.38% per year. In other words, apparel costing $93,000 in the year 1921 would cost $386,376.40 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.82% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1921: Pricing changed by -26.11%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1921-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1921 (-10.90%), inflation for apparel was much lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $93,000 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 | $93,000.00 | -26.11% |
| 1922 | $78,987.51 | -15.07% |
| 1923 | $79,693.28 | 0.89% |
| 1924 | $78,693.44 | -1.25% |
| 1925 | $77,340.71 | -1.72% |
| 1926 | $75,968.38 | -1.77% |
| 1927 | $74,301.98 | -2.19% |
| 1928 | $73,419.76 | -1.19% |
| 1929 | $72,537.55 | -1.20% |
| 1930 | $70,773.12 | -2.43% |
| 1931 | $63,519.37 | -10.25% |
| 1932 | $56,461.66 | -11.11% |
| 1933 | $56,069.57 | -0.69% |
| 1934 | $60,774.70 | 8.39% |
| 1935 | $61,166.80 | 0.65% |
| 1936 | $61,852.96 | 1.12% |
| 1937 | $65,107.35 | 5.26% |
| 1938 | $64,283.95 | -1.26% |
| 1939 | $63,578.18 | -1.10% |
| 1940 | $64,149.52 | 0.90% |
| 1941 | $67,093.46 | 4.59% |
| 1942 | $78,517.00 | 17.03% |
| 1943 | $81,910.12 | 4.32% |
| 1944 | $87,655.82 | 7.01% |
| 1945 | $92,179.99 | 5.16% |
| 1946 | $101,137.85 | 9.72% |
| 1947 | $117,221.28 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $125,002.86 | 6.64% |
| 1949 | $120,071.51 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $118,465.43 | -1.34% |
| 1951 | $129,165.10 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | $127,785.22 | -1.07% |
| 1953 | $126,948.25 | -0.65% |
| 1954 | $126,518.46 | -0.34% |
| 1955 | $126,111.28 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $128,644.82 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $130,861.66 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $131,359.32 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $132,399.88 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $134,390.51 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $135,453.69 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $136,200.18 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $137,874.13 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $139,050.41 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $140,385.04 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $144,140.10 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $150,021.53 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $158,029.31 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $167,122.89 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $174,022.26 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $179,654.85 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $183,364.67 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $190,083.06 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $204,175.86 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $213,269.44 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $221,254.61 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $231,162.54 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $239,283.43 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $249,756.89 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $267,423.78 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $280,181.94 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $287,533.72 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $294,636.67 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $300,065.67 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $308,842.57 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $311,466.59 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $325,174.83 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $339,290.24 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $348,723.14 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $364,897.05 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $378,492.19 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $387,811.98 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $393,060.02 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $392,290.91 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $388,060.81 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $387,291.70 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $390,684.83 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $391,182.49 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $386,092.79 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $381,048.34 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $374,262.09 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $364,716.08 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $355,464.15 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $354,152.14 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $351,528.12 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $351,279.29 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $349,939.46 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $349,670.95 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $353,115.20 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $351,424.07 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $359,092.31 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $371,307.80 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $374,679.89 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $374,982.56 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $370,243.04 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $370,662.88 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $369,388.65 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $369,513.29 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $364,800.23 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $347,235.36 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $355,804.60 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $373,707.87 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $383,994.26 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $386,652.66 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $386,376.40 | -0.07%* |
* 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 | 1913 | 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 |
| CPI | 14.900 | 15.000 | 15.450 | 17.350 | 21.200 | 29.550 | 37.733 | 42.800 | 31.625 | 26.860 | 27.100 | 26.760 | 26.300 | 25.833 | 25.267 | 24.967 | 24.667 | 24.067 | 21.600 | 19.200 | 19.067 | 20.667 | 20.800 | 21.033 | 22.140 | 21.860 | 21.620 | 21.814 | 22.815 | 26.700 | 27.854 | 29.808 | 31.346 | 34.392 | 39.862 | 42.508 | 40.831 | 40.285 | 43.923 | 43.454 | 43.169 | 43.023 | 42.885 | 43.746 | 44.500 | 44.669 | 45.023 | 45.700 | 46.062 | 46.315 | 46.885 | 47.285 | 47.738 | 49.015 | 51.015 | 53.738 | 56.831 | 59.177 | 61.092 | 62.354 | 64.638 | 69.431 | 72.523 | 75.238 | 78.608 | 81.369 | 84.931 | 90.938 | 95.277 | 97.777 | 100.192 | 102.038 | 105.023 | 105.915 | 110.577 | 115.377 | 118.585 | 124.085 | 128.708 | 131.877 | 133.662 | 133.400 | 131.962 | 131.700 | 132.854 | 133.023 | 131.292 | 129.577 | 127.269 | 124.023 | 120.877 | 120.431 | 119.538 | 119.454 | 118.998 | 118.907 | 120.078 | 119.503 | 122.111 | 126.265 | 127.411 | 127.514 | 125.903 | 126.045 | 125.612 | 125.654 | 124.052 | 118.079 | 120.993 | 127.081 | 130.579 | 131.483 | 131.389 |