According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 524.55% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $56,651,777,860.05 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.03% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $10,800,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $67,451,777,860.05 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 $10,800,000,000 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 | $10,800,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $10,920,288,781.93 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $11,422,769,344.69 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $11,427,101,073.68 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $11,240,836,727.14 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $11,336,134,764.90 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $11,860,273,972.60 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $13,878,859,681.60 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $14,480,970,011.11 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $15,494,594,594.59 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $16,291,632,728.62 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $17,877,045,538.69 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $20,718,659,755.65 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $22,096,149,574.23 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $21,225,472,047.39 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $20,939,577,934.10 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $22,832,543,502.41 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $22,585,634,950.02 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $22,442,687,893.37 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $22,360,385,042.58 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $22,291,077,378.75 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $22,741,577,193.63 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $23,131,432,802.67 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $23,222,399,111.44 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $23,404,331,728.99 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $23,755,201,777.12 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $23,941,466,123.66 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $24,075,749,722.33 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $24,370,307,293.59 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $24,578,230,285.08 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $24,812,143,650.50 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $25,479,229,914.85 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $26,518,844,872.27 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $27,935,320,251.76 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $29,542,391,706.78 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $30,759,607,552.76 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $31,755,905,220.29 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $32,414,328,026.66 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $33,601,221,769.71 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $36,091,965,938.54 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $37,699,037,393.56 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $39,111,181,044.06 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $40,861,199,555.72 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $42,295,001,851.17 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $44,148,981,858.57 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $47,272,158,459.83 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $49,524,657,534.25 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $50,824,176,231.03 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $52,080,377,637.91 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $53,037,689,744.54 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $54,592,780,451.68 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $55,056,275,453.54 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $57,477,711,958.53 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $59,972,787,856.35 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $61,640,503,517.22 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $64,499,444,650.13 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $66,903,554,239.17 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $68,549,611,255.09 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $69,476,601,258.79 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $69,342,317,660.13 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $68,592,928,544.98 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $68,458,644,946.32 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $69,056,423,546.83 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $69,147,389,855.61 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $68,246,390,225.84 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $67,354,054,054.05 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $66,154,165,124.03 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $64,469,122,547.20 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $62,831,728,989.26 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $62,602,147,352.83 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $62,138,652,350.98 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $62,091,003,332.10 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $61,856,180,303.59 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $61,808,704,553.87 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $62,417,529,063.31 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $62,118,596,445.76 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $63,474,037,763.79 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $65,633,274,713.07 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $66,229,363,939.28 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $66,282,860,792.30 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $65,445,061,088.49 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $65,519,306,923.36 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $65,294,057,015.92 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $65,316,105,516.48 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $64,482,984,079.97 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $61,378,174,009.63 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $62,892,893,002.59 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $66,057,524,250.28 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $67,875,767,493.52 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $68,345,673,454.28 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $68,601,402,982.06 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $67,451,777,860.05 | -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 |