According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 524.55% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $68,191,954,831.54 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 $13,000,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $81,191,954,831.54 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 $13,000,000,000 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 | $13,000,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $13,144,792,052.33 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $13,749,629,766.75 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $13,754,843,884.98 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $13,530,636,801.18 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $13,645,347,402.20 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $14,276,255,707.76 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $16,706,034,801.93 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $17,430,797,235.59 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $18,650,900,900.90 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $19,610,298,654.82 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $21,518,665,926.20 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $24,939,127,483.65 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $26,597,217,080.09 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $25,549,179,316.30 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $25,205,047,513.27 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $27,483,617,178.82 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $27,186,412,439.84 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $27,014,346,538.32 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $26,915,278,291.99 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $26,831,852,400.35 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $27,374,120,696.04 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $27,843,391,336.54 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $27,952,887,819.33 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $28,171,880,784.89 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $28,594,224,361.35 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $28,818,431,445.14 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $28,980,069,110.21 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $29,334,629,149.70 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $29,584,906,824.63 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $29,866,469,208.93 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $30,669,443,416.02 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $31,920,831,790.69 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $33,625,848,451.19 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $35,560,286,313.71 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $37,025,453,535.73 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $38,224,700,728.13 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $39,017,246,698.75 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $40,445,915,093.18 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $43,444,033,074.17 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $45,378,470,936.69 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $47,078,273,478.96 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $49,184,777,243.00 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $50,910,650,376.40 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $53,142,292,977.91 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $56,901,672,220.17 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $59,613,013,698.63 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $61,177,249,166.98 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $62,689,343,453.04 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $63,841,663,581.39 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $65,713,532,025.18 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $66,271,442,675.55 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $69,186,134,764.90 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $72,189,466,864.12 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $74,196,902,381.83 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $77,638,220,412.19 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $80,532,056,028.63 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $82,513,420,955.20 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $83,629,242,255.95 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $83,467,604,590.89 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $82,565,562,137.48 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $82,403,924,472.42 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $83,123,472,787.86 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $83,232,969,270.64 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $82,148,432,679.25 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $81,074,324,324.32 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $79,630,013,575.22 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $77,601,721,584.60 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $75,630,784,894.48 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $75,354,436,628.41 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $74,796,525,978.03 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $74,739,170,677.53 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $74,456,513,328.40 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $74,399,366,592.62 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $75,132,210,909.54 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $74,772,384,610.64 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $76,403,934,345.30 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $79,003,015,858.32 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $79,720,530,667.65 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $79,784,925,027.77 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $78,776,462,421.33 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $78,865,832,407.75 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $78,594,698,259.90 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $78,621,238,121.68 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $77,618,406,762.93 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $73,881,135,381.96 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $75,704,408,243.86 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $79,513,686,597.56 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $81,702,312,723.68 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $82,267,940,269.04 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $82,575,762,848.78 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $81,191,954,831.54 | -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 |