According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 398.93% higher in 2026 versus 1926 (a $3,989.29 difference in value).
Between 1926 and 2026: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.62% per year. In other words, apparel costing $1,000 in the year 1926 would cost $4,989.29 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.95% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1926: Pricing changed by -1.42%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1926-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1926 (0.90%), inflation for apparel was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $1,000 beginning in 1926. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1926 | $1,000.00 | -1.42% |
| 1927 | $980.45 | -1.95% |
| 1928 | $962.51 | -1.83% |
| 1929 | $952.58 | -1.03% |
| 1930 | $940.40 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $869.27 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $764.50 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $712.59 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $787.16 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $798.86 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $807.75 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $844.92 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $845.24 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $831.46 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $838.51 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $877.28 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $1,026.59 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $1,071.13 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $1,146.11 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $1,205.06 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $1,322.33 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $1,532.52 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $1,634.41 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $1,570.01 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $1,548.86 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $1,688.88 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $1,670.62 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $1,660.04 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $1,653.96 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $1,648.83 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $1,682.15 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $1,710.99 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $1,717.72 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $1,731.18 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $1,757.13 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $1,770.91 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $1,780.84 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $1,802.63 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $1,818.01 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $1,835.31 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $1,884.65 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $1,961.55 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $2,066.32 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $2,185.20 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $2,275.23 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $2,348.93 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $2,397.63 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $2,485.42 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $2,669.66 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $2,788.53 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $2,892.98 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $3,022.43 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $3,128.48 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $3,265.62 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $3,496.64 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $3,663.25 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $3,759.37 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $3,852.29 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $3,923.10 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $4,038.13 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $4,072.41 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $4,251.52 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $4,436.08 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $4,559.44 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $4,770.91 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $4,948.73 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $5,070.49 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $5,139.06 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $5,129.13 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $5,073.69 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $5,063.76 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $5,107.98 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $5,114.71 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $5,048.06 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $4,982.06 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $4,893.30 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $4,768.66 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $4,647.55 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $4,630.57 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $4,596.28 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $4,592.76 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $4,575.39 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $4,571.88 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $4,616.91 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $4,594.80 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $4,695.06 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $4,854.77 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $4,898.87 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $4,902.82 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $4,840.85 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $4,846.34 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $4,829.68 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $4,831.31 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $4,769.69 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $4,540.03 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $4,652.07 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $4,886.16 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $5,020.65 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $5,055.41 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $5,074.32 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $4,989.29 | -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 |