According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 542.10% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $70,418,713,050.72 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.06% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $12,990,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $83,408,713,050.72 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 $12,990,000,000 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 | $12,990,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $13,134,680,673.82 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $13,739,053,128.47 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $13,744,263,235.84 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $13,520,228,619.03 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $13,634,850,981.12 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $14,265,273,972.60 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $16,693,184,005.92 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $17,417,388,930.03 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $18,636,554,054.05 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $19,595,213,809.70 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $21,502,113,106.26 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $24,919,943,539.43 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $26,576,757,682.34 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $25,529,526,101.44 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $25,185,659,015.18 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $27,462,475,934.84 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $27,165,499,814.88 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $26,993,566,271.75 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $26,894,574,231.77 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $26,811,212,513.88 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $27,353,063,680.12 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $27,821,973,343.21 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $27,931,385,597.93 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $28,150,210,107.37 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $28,572,228,804.15 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $28,796,263,420.96 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $28,957,776,749.35 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $29,312,064,050.35 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $29,562,149,204.00 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $29,843,495,001.85 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $30,645,851,536.47 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $31,896,277,304.70 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $33,599,982,413.92 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $35,532,932,247.32 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $36,996,972,417.62 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $38,195,297,112.18 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $38,987,233,432.06 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $40,414,802,850.80 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $43,410,614,587.19 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $45,343,564,420.58 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $47,042,059,422.44 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $49,146,942,798.96 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $50,871,488,337.65 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $53,101,414,291.00 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $56,857,901,703.07 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $59,567,157,534.25 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $61,130,189,744.54 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $62,641,120,881.16 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $63,792,554,609.40 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $65,662,983,154.39 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $66,220,464,642.72 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $69,132,914,661.24 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $72,133,936,505.00 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $74,139,827,841.54 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $77,578,498,704.18 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $80,470,108,293.22 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $82,449,949,092.93 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $83,564,912,069.60 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $83,403,398,741.21 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $82,502,050,166.60 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $82,340,536,838.21 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $83,059,531,654.94 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $83,168,943,909.66 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $82,085,241,577.19 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $81,011,959,459.46 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $79,568,759,718.62 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $77,542,027,952.61 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $75,572,607,367.64 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $75,296,471,677.16 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $74,738,990,188.82 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $74,681,679,007.77 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $74,399,239,087.38 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $74,342,136,310.63 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $75,074,416,901.15 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $74,714,867,391.71 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $76,345,162,088.12 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $78,942,244,307.66 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $79,659,207,182.52 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $79,723,552,008.52 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $78,715,865,142.54 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $78,805,166,382.82 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $78,534,240,799.70 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $78,560,760,246.21 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $77,558,700,296.19 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $73,824,303,739.36 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $75,646,174,083.67 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $79,452,522,223.25 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $81,639,464,790.82 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $82,204,657,238.06 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $82,311,516,540.17 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $83,408,713,050.72 | 1.33%* |
* 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 | 133.409 |