According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 531.68% higher in 2025 versus 1935 (a $135,045,877,403.85 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.07% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $25,400,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $160,445,877,403.85 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.56% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1935: Pricing changed by 0.65%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1935-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1935 (2.53%), inflation for apparel was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $25,400,000,000 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 | $25,400,000,000.00 | 0.65% |
| 1936 | $25,684,935,897.44 | 1.12% |
| 1937 | $27,036,346,153.85 | 5.26% |
| 1938 | $26,694,423,076.92 | -1.26% |
| 1939 | $26,401,346,153.85 | -1.10% |
| 1940 | $26,638,598,901.10 | 0.90% |
| 1941 | $27,861,094,674.56 | 4.59% |
| 1942 | $32,604,807,692.31 | 17.03% |
| 1943 | $34,013,831,360.95 | 4.32% |
| 1944 | $36,399,778,106.51 | 7.01% |
| 1945 | $38,278,476,331.36 | 5.16% |
| 1946 | $41,998,298,816.57 | 9.72% |
| 1947 | $48,677,071,005.92 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $51,908,431,952.66 | 6.64% |
| 1949 | $49,860,650,887.57 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $49,193,713,017.75 | -1.34% |
| 1951 | $53,636,834,319.53 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | $53,063,831,360.95 | -1.07% |
| 1953 | $52,716,272,189.35 | -0.65% |
| 1954 | $52,537,795,857.99 | -0.34% |
| 1955 | $52,368,713,017.75 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $53,420,784,023.67 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $54,341,346,153.85 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $54,548,002,958.58 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $54,980,103,550.30 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $55,806,730,769.23 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $56,248,224,852.07 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $56,558,210,059.17 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $57,253,328,402.37 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $57,741,789,940.83 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $58,296,005,917.16 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $59,855,325,443.79 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $62,297,633,136.09 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $65,622,928,994.08 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $69,399,112,426.04 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $72,264,127,218.93 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $74,603,106,508.88 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $76,143,639,053.25 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $78,933,505,917.16 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $84,785,650,887.57 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $88,561,834,319.53 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $91,877,736,686.39 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $95,992,085,798.82 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $99,364,349,112.43 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $103,713,535,502.96 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $111,049,852,071.01 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $116,347,781,065.09 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $119,400,665,680.47 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $122,350,221,893.49 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $124,604,659,763.31 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $128,249,334,319.53 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $129,338,979,289.94 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $135,031,434,911.24 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $140,892,973,372.78 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $144,810,059,171.60 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $151,526,405,325.44 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $157,171,893,491.12 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $161,042,011,834.32 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $163,221,301,775.15 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $162,901,923,076.92 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $161,145,340,236.69 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $160,825,961,538.46 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $162,234,985,207.10 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $162,441,642,011.83 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $160,328,106,508.88 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $158,233,357,988.17 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $155,415,310,650.89 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $151,451,257,396.45 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $147,609,319,526.63 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $147,064,497,041.42 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $145,974,852,071.01 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $145,871,523,668.64 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $145,315,147,189.35 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $145,203,646,449.70 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $146,633,899,408.28 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $145,931,642,011.83 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $149,115,941,568.05 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $154,188,520,710.06 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $155,588,808,431.95 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $155,714,493,343.20 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $153,746,369,082.84 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $153,920,712,278.11 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $153,391,576,923.08 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $153,443,335,059.17 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $151,486,201,183.43 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $144,192,249,260.36 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $147,750,691,568.05 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $155,185,170,118.34 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $159,456,672,337.28 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $160,560,595,414.20 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $160,445,877,403.85 | -0.07%* |
* 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 | 1913 | 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 |
| CPI | 14.900 | 15.000 | 15.450 | 17.350 | 21.200 | 29.550 | 37.733 | 42.800 | 31.625 | 26.860 | 27.100 | 26.760 | 26.300 | 25.833 | 25.267 | 24.967 | 24.667 | 24.067 | 21.600 | 19.200 | 19.067 | 20.667 | 20.800 | 21.033 | 22.140 | 21.860 | 21.620 | 21.814 | 22.815 | 26.700 | 27.854 | 29.808 | 31.346 | 34.392 | 39.862 | 42.508 | 40.831 | 40.285 | 43.923 | 43.454 | 43.169 | 43.023 | 42.885 | 43.746 | 44.500 | 44.669 | 45.023 | 45.700 | 46.062 | 46.315 | 46.885 | 47.285 | 47.738 | 49.015 | 51.015 | 53.738 | 56.831 | 59.177 | 61.092 | 62.354 | 64.638 | 69.431 | 72.523 | 75.238 | 78.608 | 81.369 | 84.931 | 90.938 | 95.277 | 97.777 | 100.192 | 102.038 | 105.023 | 105.915 | 110.577 | 115.377 | 118.585 | 124.085 | 128.708 | 131.877 | 133.662 | 133.400 | 131.962 | 131.700 | 132.854 | 133.023 | 131.292 | 129.577 | 127.269 | 124.023 | 120.877 | 120.431 | 119.538 | 119.454 | 118.998 | 118.907 | 120.078 | 119.503 | 122.111 | 126.265 | 127.411 | 127.514 | 125.903 | 126.045 | 125.612 | 125.654 | 124.052 | 118.079 | 120.993 | 127.081 | 130.579 | 131.483 | 131.389 |