According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 528.99% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $528,991,114,402.07 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.04% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $100,000,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $628,991,114,402.07 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.54% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1935: Pricing changed by 1.49%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1935-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1935 (2.55%), inflation for apparel was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $100,000,000,000 beginning in 1935. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | $100,000,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $101,113,785,017.89 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $105,766,382,821.18 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $105,806,491,422.93 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $104,081,821,547.57 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $104,964,210,786.13 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $109,817,351,598.17 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $128,507,960,014.81 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $134,083,055,658.40 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $143,468,468,468.47 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $150,848,451,190.92 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $165,528,199,432.31 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $191,839,442,181.91 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $204,593,977,539.18 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $196,532,148,586.94 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $193,884,980,871.28 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $211,412,439,837.10 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $209,126,249,537.21 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $207,802,665,679.38 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $207,040,602,246.08 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $206,398,864,618.04 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $210,570,159,200.30 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $214,179,933,358.02 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $215,022,213,994.82 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $216,706,775,268.42 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $219,955,572,010.37 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $221,680,241,885.72 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $222,923,608,540.05 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $225,650,993,459.21 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $227,576,206,343.33 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $229,742,070,837.96 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $235,918,795,507.84 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $245,544,859,928.42 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $258,660,372,701.47 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $273,540,663,951.62 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $284,811,181,044.06 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $294,036,159,447.12 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $300,132,666,913.49 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $311,122,423,793.66 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $334,184,869,801.31 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $349,065,161,051.46 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $362,140,565,222.76 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $378,344,440,330.74 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $391,620,387,510.80 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $408,786,869,060.84 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $437,705,170,924.35 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $458,561,643,835.62 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $470,594,224,361.35 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $482,225,718,869.55 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $491,089,719,856.84 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $505,488,707,885.97 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $509,780,328,273.48 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $532,201,036,653.09 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $555,303,591,262.50 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $570,745,402,937.18 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $597,217,080,093.79 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $619,477,354,066.40 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $634,718,622,732.32 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $643,301,863,507.34 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $642,058,496,853.02 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $635,119,708,749.85 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $633,876,342,095.52 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $639,411,329,137.36 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $640,253,609,774.16 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $631,911,020,609.65 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $623,648,648,648.65 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $612,538,565,963.22 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $596,936,319,881.53 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $581,775,268,419.10 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $579,649,512,526.22 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $575,357,892,138.71 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $574,916,697,519.44 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $572,742,410,218.44 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $572,302,819,943.23 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $577,940,083,919.54 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $575,172,189,312.60 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $587,722,571,886.96 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $607,715,506,602.49 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $613,234,851,289.65 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $613,730,192,521.29 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $605,972,787,856.35 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $606,660,249,290.39 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $604,574,601,999.26 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $604,778,754,782.18 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $597,064,667,407.13 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $568,316,426,015.06 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $582,341,601,875.85 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $611,643,743,058.13 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $628,479,328,643.71 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $632,830,309,761.82 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $633,652,937,183.76 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $628,991,114,402.07 | -0.74%* |
* 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 | 130.685 |