According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 524.55% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $4,537,387,763.79 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.03% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $865,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $5,402,387,763.79 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 $865,000,000 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 | $865,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $874,634,240.40 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $914,879,211.40 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $915,226,150.81 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $900,307,756.39 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $907,940,423.30 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $949,920,091.32 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $1,111,593,854.13 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $1,159,818,431.45 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $1,241,002,252.25 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $1,304,839,102.80 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $1,431,818,925.09 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $1,659,411,174.87 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $1,769,737,905.71 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $1,700,003,085.28 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $1,677,105,084.54 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $1,828,717,604.59 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $1,808,942,058.50 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $1,797,493,058.13 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $1,790,901,209.43 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $1,785,350,178.95 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $1,821,431,877.08 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $1,852,656,423.55 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $1,859,942,151.06 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $1,874,513,606.07 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $1,902,615,697.89 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $1,917,534,092.31 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $1,928,289,213.87 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $1,951,881,093.42 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $1,968,534,184.87 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $1,987,268,912.75 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $2,040,697,581.14 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $2,123,963,038.38 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $2,237,412,223.87 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $2,366,126,743.18 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $2,463,616,716.03 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $2,543,412,779.22 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $2,596,147,568.80 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $2,691,208,965.82 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $2,890,699,123.78 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $3,019,413,643.10 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $3,132,515,889.18 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $3,272,679,408.86 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $3,387,516,351.97 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $3,536,006,417.38 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $3,786,149,728.50 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $3,966,558,219.18 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $4,070,640,040.73 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $4,171,252,468.22 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $4,247,926,076.76 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $4,372,477,323.21 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $4,409,599,839.57 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $4,603,538,967.05 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $4,803,376,064.42 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $4,936,947,735.41 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $5,165,927,742.81 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $5,358,479,112.67 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $5,490,316,086.63 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $5,564,561,119.34 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $5,553,805,997.78 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $5,493,785,480.69 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $5,483,030,359.13 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $5,530,907,997.04 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $5,538,193,724.55 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $5,466,030,328.27 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $5,394,560,810.81 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $5,298,458,595.58 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $5,163,499,166.98 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $5,032,356,071.83 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $5,013,968,283.35 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $4,976,845,767.00 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $4,973,029,433.54 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $4,954,221,848.39 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $4,950,419,392.51 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $4,999,181,725.90 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $4,975,239,437.55 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $5,083,800,246.82 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $5,256,739,132.11 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $5,304,481,463.66 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $5,308,766,165.31 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $5,241,664,614.96 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $5,247,611,156.36 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $5,229,570,307.29 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $5,231,336,228.87 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $5,164,609,373.07 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $4,915,937,085.03 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $5,037,254,856.23 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $5,290,718,377.45 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $5,436,346,192.77 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $5,473,982,179.44 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $5,494,464,220.32 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $5,402,387,763.79 | -1.68%* |
* 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 | 131.975 | 129.763 |