According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 542.10% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $8,131,491,114,402,072 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 $1,500,000,000,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $9,631,491,114,402,072 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 $1,500,000,000,000,000 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 | $1,500,000,000,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $1,516,706,775,268,419.00 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $1,586,495,742,317,659.75 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $1,587,097,371,343,946.50 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $1,561,227,323,213,624.75 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $1,574,463,161,791,929.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $1,647,260,273,972,602.50 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $1,927,619,400,222,139.75 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $2,011,245,834,875,971.50 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $2,152,027,027,027,027.00 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $2,262,726,767,863,754.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $2,482,922,991,484,635.00 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $2,877,591,632,728,618.50 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $3,068,909,663,087,745.50 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $2,947,982,228,804,146.00 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $2,908,274,713,069,233.50 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $3,171,186,597,556,461.00 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $3,136,893,743,058,126.00 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $3,117,039,985,190,670.00 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $3,105,609,033,691,225.50 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $3,095,982,969,270,640.00 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $3,158,552,388,004,442.00 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $3,212,699,000,370,233.00 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $3,225,333,209,922,251.00 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $3,250,601,629,026,286.00 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $3,299,333,580,155,497.00 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $3,325,203,628,285,819.50 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $3,343,854,128,100,702.50 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $3,384,764,901,888,189.00 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $3,413,643,095,149,944.50 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $3,446,131,062,569,418.00 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $3,538,781,932,617,549.50 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $3,683,172,898,926,324.00 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $3,879,905,590,522,029.00 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $4,103,109,959,274,342.50 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $4,272,167,715,660,866.00 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $4,410,542,391,706,774.50 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $4,501,990,003,702,331.00 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $4,666,836,356,904,849.00 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $5,012,773,047,019,622.00 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $5,235,977,415,771,935.00 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $5,432,108,478,341,354.00 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $5,675,166,604,961,125.00 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $5,874,305,812,661,976.00 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $6,131,803,035,912,625.00 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $6,565,577,563,865,234.00 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $6,878,424,657,534,245.00 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $7,058,913,365,420,214.00 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $7,233,385,783,043,316.00 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $7,366,345,797,852,648.00 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $7,582,330,618,289,521.00 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $7,646,704,924,102,182.00 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $7,983,015,549,796,371.00 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $8,329,553,868,937,430.00 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $8,561,181,044,057,755.00 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $8,958,256,201,406,885.00 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $9,292,160,310,995,926.00 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $9,520,779,340,984,820.00 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $9,649,527,952,610,144.00 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $9,630,877,452,795,260.00 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $9,526,795,631,247,684.00 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $9,508,145,131,432,804.00 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $9,591,169,937,060,346.00 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $9,603,804,146,612,364.00 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $9,478,665,309,144,760.00 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $9,354,729,729,729,730.00 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $9,188,078,489,448,352.00 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $8,954,044,798,222,879.00 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $8,726,629,026,286,559.00 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $8,694,742,687,893,372.00 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $8,630,368,382,080,710.00 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $8,623,750,462,791,558.00 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $8,591,136,153,276,563.00 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $8,584,542,299,148,462.00 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $8,669,101,258,793,039.00 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $8,627,582,839,689,004.00 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $8,815,838,578,304,332.00 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $9,115,732,599,037,392.00 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $9,198,522,769,344,686.00 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $9,205,952,887,819,326.00 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $9,089,591,817,845,240.00 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $9,099,903,739,355,792.00 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $9,068,619,029,988,892.00 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $9,071,681,321,732,690.00 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $8,955,970,011,106,996.00 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $8,524,746,390,225,841.00 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $8,735,124,028,137,725.00 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $9,174,656,145,871,898.00 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $9,427,189,929,655,682.00 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $9,492,454,646,427,248.00 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $9,504,794,057,756,386.00 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $9,631,491,114,402,072.00 | 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 |