According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 528.99% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $201,016,623,472.79 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.04% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $38,000,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $239,016,623,472.79 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 $38,000,000,000 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 | $38,000,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $38,423,238,306.80 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $40,191,225,472.05 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $40,206,466,740.71 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $39,551,092,188.08 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $39,886,400,098.73 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $41,730,593,607.31 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $48,833,024,805.63 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $50,951,561,150.19 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $54,518,018,018.02 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $57,322,411,452.55 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $62,900,715,784.28 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $72,898,988,029.13 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $77,745,711,464.89 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $74,682,216,463.04 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $73,676,292,731.09 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $80,336,727,138.10 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $79,467,974,824.14 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $78,965,012,958.16 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $78,675,428,853.51 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $78,431,568,554.86 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $80,016,660,496.11 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $81,388,374,676.05 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $81,708,441,318.03 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $82,348,574,602.00 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $83,583,117,363.94 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $84,238,491,916.57 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $84,710,971,245.22 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $85,747,377,514.50 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $86,478,958,410.47 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $87,301,986,918.43 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $89,649,142,292.98 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $93,307,046,772.80 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $98,290,941,626.56 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $103,945,452,301.62 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $108,228,248,796.74 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $111,733,740,589.90 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $114,050,413,427.13 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $118,226,521,041.59 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $126,990,250,524.50 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $132,644,761,199.56 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $137,613,414,784.65 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $143,770,887,325.68 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $148,815,747,254.10 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $155,339,010,243.12 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $166,327,964,951.25 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $174,253,424,657.53 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $178,825,805,257.31 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $183,245,773,170.43 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $186,614,093,545.60 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $192,085,708,996.67 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $193,716,524,743.92 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $202,236,393,928.17 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $211,015,364,679.75 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $216,883,253,116.13 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $226,942,490,435.64 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $235,401,394,545.23 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $241,193,076,638.28 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $244,454,708,132.79 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $243,982,228,804.15 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $241,345,489,324.94 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $240,873,009,996.30 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $242,976,305,072.20 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $243,296,371,714.18 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $240,126,187,831.67 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $236,986,486,486.49 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $232,764,655,066.02 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $226,835,801,554.98 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $221,074,601,999.26 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $220,266,814,759.97 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $218,635,999,012.71 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $218,468,345,057.39 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $217,642,115,883.01 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $217,475,071,578.43 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $219,617,231,889.42 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $218,565,431,938.79 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $223,334,577,317.04 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $230,931,892,508.95 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $233,029,243,490.07 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $233,217,473,158.09 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $230,269,659,385.41 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $230,530,894,730.35 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $229,738,348,759.72 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $229,815,926,817.23 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $226,884,573,614.71 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $215,960,241,885.72 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $221,289,808,712.82 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $232,424,622,362.09 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $238,822,144,884.61 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $240,475,517,709.49 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $240,788,116,129.83 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $239,016,623,472.79 | -0.74%* |
* 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 | 130.685 |