According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 542.10% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $3,984,430,646.06 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 $735,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $4,719,430,646.06 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 $735,000,000 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 | $735,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $743,186,319.88 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $777,382,913.74 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $777,677,711.96 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $765,001,388.37 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $771,486,949.28 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $807,157,534.25 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $944,533,506.11 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $985,510,459.09 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $1,054,493,243.24 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $1,108,736,116.25 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $1,216,632,265.83 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $1,410,019,900.04 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $1,503,765,734.91 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $1,444,511,292.11 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $1,425,054,609.40 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $1,553,881,432.80 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $1,537,077,934.10 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $1,527,349,592.74 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $1,521,748,426.51 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $1,517,031,654.94 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $1,547,690,670.12 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $1,574,222,510.18 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $1,580,413,272.86 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $1,592,794,798.22 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $1,616,673,454.28 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $1,629,349,777.86 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $1,638,488,522.77 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $1,658,534,801.93 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $1,672,685,116.62 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $1,688,604,220.66 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $1,734,003,146.98 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $1,804,754,720.47 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $1,901,153,739.36 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $2,010,523,880.04 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $2,093,362,180.67 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $2,161,165,771.94 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $2,205,975,101.81 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $2,286,749,814.88 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $2,456,258,793.04 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $2,565,628,933.73 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $2,661,733,154.39 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $2,780,831,636.43 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $2,878,409,848.20 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $3,004,583,487.60 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $3,217,133,006.29 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $3,370,428,082.19 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $3,458,867,549.06 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $3,544,359,033.69 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $3,609,509,440.95 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $3,715,342,002.96 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $3,746,885,412.81 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $3,911,677,619.40 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $4,081,481,395.78 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $4,194,978,711.59 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $4,389,545,538.69 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $4,553,158,552.39 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $4,665,181,877.08 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $4,728,268,696.78 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $4,719,129,951.87 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $4,668,129,859.31 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $4,658,991,114.40 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $4,699,673,269.16 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $4,705,864,031.84 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $4,644,546,001.48 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $4,583,817,567.57 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $4,502,158,459.83 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $4,387,481,951.13 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $4,276,048,222.88 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $4,260,423,917.07 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $4,228,880,507.22 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $4,225,637,726.77 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $4,209,656,715.11 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $4,206,425,726.58 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $4,247,859,616.81 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $4,227,515,591.45 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $4,319,760,903.37 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $4,466,708,973.53 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $4,507,276,156.98 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $4,510,916,915.03 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $4,453,899,990.74 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $4,458,952,832.28 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $4,443,623,324.69 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $4,445,123,847.65 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $4,388,425,305.44 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $4,177,125,731.21 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $4,280,210,773.79 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $4,495,581,511.48 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $4,619,323,065.53 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $4,651,302,776.75 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $4,657,349,088.30 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $4,719,430,646.06 | 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 |