According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 542.10% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $49,873,145,501.67 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 $9,200,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $59,073,145,501.67 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 $9,200,000,000 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 | $9,200,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $9,302,468,221.65 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $9,730,507,219.55 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $9,734,197,210.91 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $9,575,527,582.38 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $9,656,707,392.32 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $10,103,196,347.03 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $11,822,732,321.36 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $12,335,641,120.57 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $13,199,099,099.10 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $13,878,057,509.56 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $15,228,594,347.77 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $17,649,228,680.74 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $18,822,645,933.60 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $18,080,957,670.00 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $17,837,418,240.16 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $19,449,944,465.01 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $19,239,614,957.42 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $19,117,845,242.50 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $19,047,735,406.64 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $18,988,695,544.86 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $19,372,454,646.43 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $19,704,553,868.94 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $19,782,043,687.52 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $19,937,023,324.69 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $20,235,912,624.95 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $20,394,582,253.49 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $20,508,971,985.68 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $20,759,891,398.25 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $20,937,010,983.59 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $21,136,270,517.09 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $21,704,529,186.72 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $22,590,127,113.41 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $23,796,754,288.54 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $25,165,741,083.55 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $26,202,628,656.05 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $27,051,326,669.13 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $27,612,205,356.04 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $28,623,262,989.02 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $30,745,008,021.72 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $32,113,994,816.73 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $33,316,932,000.49 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $34,807,688,510.43 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $36,029,075,650.99 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $37,608,391,953.60 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $40,268,875,725.04 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $42,187,671,232.88 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $43,294,668,641.24 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $44,364,766,136.00 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $45,180,254,226.83 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $46,504,961,125.51 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $46,899,790,201.16 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $48,962,495,372.08 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $51,087,930,396.15 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $52,508,577,070.22 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $54,943,971,368.63 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $56,991,916,574.11 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $58,394,113,291.37 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $59,183,771,442.68 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $59,069,381,710.48 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $58,431,013,204.99 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $58,316,623,472.79 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $58,825,842,280.64 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $58,903,332,099.22 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $58,135,813,896.09 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $57,375,675,675.68 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $56,353,548,068.62 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $54,918,141,429.10 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $53,523,324,694.56 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $53,327,755,152.41 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $52,932,926,076.76 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $52,892,336,171.79 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $52,692,301,740.10 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $52,651,859,434.78 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $53,170,487,720.60 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $52,915,841,416.76 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $54,070,476,613.60 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $55,909,826,607.43 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $56,417,606,318.65 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $56,463,177,711.96 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $55,749,496,482.78 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $55,812,742,934.72 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $55,620,863,383.93 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $55,639,645,439.96 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $54,929,949,401.46 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $52,285,111,193.39 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $53,575,427,372.58 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $56,271,224,361.35 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $57,820,098,235.22 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $58,220,388,498.09 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $58,296,070,220.91 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $59,073,145,501.67 | 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 |