According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 542.10% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $271,049,703,813.40 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 $50,000,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $321,049,703,813.40 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 $50,000,000,000 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 | $50,000,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $50,556,892,508.95 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $52,883,191,410.59 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $52,903,245,711.46 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $52,040,910,773.79 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $52,482,105,393.06 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $54,908,675,799.09 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $64,253,980,007.40 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $67,041,527,829.20 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $71,734,234,234.23 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $75,424,225,595.46 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $82,764,099,716.15 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $95,919,721,090.95 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $102,296,988,769.59 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $98,266,074,293.47 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $96,942,490,435.64 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $105,706,219,918.55 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $104,563,124,768.60 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $103,901,332,839.69 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $103,520,301,123.04 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $103,199,432,309.02 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $105,285,079,600.15 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $107,089,966,679.01 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $107,511,106,997.41 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $108,353,387,634.21 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $109,977,786,005.18 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $110,840,120,942.86 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $111,461,804,270.02 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $112,825,496,729.61 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $113,788,103,171.66 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $114,871,035,418.98 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $117,959,397,753.92 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $122,772,429,964.21 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $129,330,186,350.73 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $136,770,331,975.81 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $142,405,590,522.03 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $147,018,079,723.56 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $150,066,333,456.74 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $155,561,211,896.83 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $167,092,434,900.65 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $174,532,580,525.73 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $181,070,282,611.38 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $189,172,220,165.37 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $195,810,193,755.40 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $204,393,434,530.42 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $218,852,585,462.17 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $229,280,821,917.81 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $235,297,112,180.67 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $241,112,859,434.78 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $245,544,859,928.42 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $252,744,353,942.98 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $254,890,164,136.74 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $266,100,518,326.55 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $277,651,795,631.25 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $285,372,701,468.59 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $298,608,540,046.90 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $309,738,677,033.20 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $317,359,311,366.16 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $321,650,931,753.67 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $321,029,248,426.51 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $317,559,854,374.92 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $316,938,171,047.76 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $319,705,664,568.68 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $320,126,804,887.08 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $315,955,510,304.83 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $311,824,324,324.32 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $306,269,282,981.61 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $298,468,159,940.76 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $290,887,634,209.55 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $289,824,756,263.11 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $287,678,946,069.36 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $287,458,348,759.72 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $286,371,205,109.22 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $286,151,409,971.62 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $288,970,041,959.77 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $287,586,094,656.30 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $293,861,285,943.48 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $303,857,753,301.25 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $306,617,425,644.82 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $306,865,096,260.64 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $302,986,393,928.17 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $303,330,124,645.19 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $302,287,300,999.63 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $302,389,377,391.09 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $298,532,333,703.57 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $284,158,213,007.53 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $291,170,800,937.92 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $305,821,871,529.06 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $314,239,664,321.86 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $316,415,154,880.91 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $316,826,468,591.88 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $321,049,703,813.40 | 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 |