According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 542.10% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $4,683,738,881.90 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 $864,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $5,547,738,881.90 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 $864,000,000 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 | $864,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $873,623,102.55 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $913,821,547.57 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $914,168,085.89 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $899,266,938.17 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $906,890,781.19 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $948,821,917.81 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $1,110,308,774.53 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $1,158,477,600.89 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $1,239,567,567.57 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $1,303,330,618.29 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $1,430,163,643.10 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $1,657,492,780.45 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $1,767,691,965.94 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $1,698,037,763.79 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $1,675,166,234.73 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $1,826,603,480.19 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $1,806,850,796.00 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $1,795,415,031.47 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $1,788,830,803.41 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $1,783,286,190.30 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $1,819,326,175.49 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $1,850,514,624.21 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $1,857,791,928.92 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $1,872,346,538.32 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $1,900,416,142.17 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $1,915,317,289.89 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $1,926,059,977.79 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $1,949,624,583.49 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $1,966,258,422.81 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $1,984,971,492.04 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $2,038,338,393.19 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $2,121,507,589.78 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $2,234,825,620.14 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $2,363,391,336.54 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $2,460,768,604.22 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $2,540,472,417.62 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $2,593,146,242.13 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $2,688,097,741.58 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $2,887,357,275.08 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $3,015,922,991.48 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $3,128,894,483.52 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $3,268,895,964.46 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $3,383,600,148.09 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $3,531,918,548.69 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $3,781,772,676.79 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $3,961,972,602.74 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $4,065,934,098.48 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $4,166,430,211.03 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $4,243,015,179.56 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $4,367,422,436.13 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $4,404,502,036.28 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $4,598,216,956.68 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $4,797,823,028.51 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $4,931,240,281.38 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $5,159,955,572.01 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $5,352,284,339.13 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $5,483,968,900.41 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $5,558,128,100.70 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $5,547,385,412.81 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $5,487,434,283.60 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $5,476,691,595.71 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $5,524,513,883.75 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $5,531,791,188.45 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $5,459,711,218.07 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $5,388,324,324.32 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $5,292,333,209.92 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $5,157,529,803.78 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $5,026,538,319.14 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $5,008,171,788.23 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $4,971,092,188.08 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $4,967,280,266.57 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $4,948,494,424.29 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $4,944,696,364.31 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $4,993,402,325.06 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $4,969,487,715.66 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $5,077,923,021.10 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $5,250,661,977.05 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $5,298,349,115.14 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $5,302,628,863.38 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $5,235,604,887.08 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $5,241,544,553.87 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $5,223,524,561.27 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $5,225,288,441.32 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $5,158,638,726.40 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $4,910,253,920.77 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $5,031,431,440.21 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $5,284,601,940.02 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $5,430,061,399.48 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $5,467,653,876.34 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $5,474,761,377.27 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $5,547,738,881.90 | 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 |