According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 493.45% higher in 2025 versus 1937 (a $1,480,335,365.85 difference in value).
Between 1937 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.04% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $300,000,000 in the year 1937 would cost $1,780,335,365.85 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.59% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1937: Pricing changed by 5.26%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1937-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1937 (3.72%), inflation for apparel was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $300,000,000 beginning in 1937. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1937 | $300,000,000.00 | 5.26% |
| 1938 | $296,205,962.06 | -1.26% |
| 1939 | $292,953,929.54 | -1.10% |
| 1940 | $295,586,527.29 | 0.90% |
| 1941 | $309,151,553.05 | 4.59% |
| 1942 | $361,788,617.89 | 17.03% |
| 1943 | $377,423,389.62 | 4.32% |
| 1944 | $403,898,269.75 | 7.01% |
| 1945 | $424,744,632.06 | 5.16% |
| 1946 | $466,020,429.44 | 9.72% |
| 1947 | $540,129,247.45 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $575,984,990.62 | 6.64% |
| 1949 | $553,262,455.70 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $545,861,997.08 | -1.34% |
| 1951 | $595,163,643.94 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | $588,805,503.44 | -1.07% |
| 1953 | $584,948,926.41 | -0.65% |
| 1954 | $582,968,521.99 | -0.34% |
| 1955 | $581,092,349.39 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $592,766,312.28 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $602,981,029.81 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $605,274,129.66 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $610,068,793.00 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $619,241,192.41 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $624,140,087.55 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $627,579,737.34 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $635,292,891.39 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $640,712,945.59 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $646,862,622.47 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $664,165,103.19 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $691,265,374.19 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $728,163,435.48 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $770,064,623.72 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $801,855,326.25 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $827,809,047.32 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $844,903,064.42 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $875,859,912.45 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $940,796,331.04 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $982,697,519.28 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $1,019,491,348.76 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $1,065,144,882.22 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $1,102,564,102.56 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $1,150,823,431.31 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $1,232,228,476.13 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $1,291,015,217.84 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $1,324,890,556.60 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $1,357,619,345.42 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $1,382,634,980.20 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $1,423,076,923.08 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $1,435,167,813.22 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $1,498,332,291.02 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $1,563,372,941.42 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $1,606,837,606.84 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $1,681,363,352.10 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $1,744,006,670.84 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $1,786,950,177.19 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $1,811,131,957.47 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $1,807,588,075.88 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $1,788,096,727.12 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $1,784,552,845.53 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $1,800,187,617.26 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $1,802,480,717.11 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $1,779,028,559.52 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $1,755,784,865.54 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $1,724,515,322.08 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $1,680,529,497.60 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $1,637,898,686.68 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $1,631,853,241.61 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $1,619,762,351.47 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $1,618,615,801.54 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $1,612,442,151.34 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $1,611,204,919.74 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $1,627,075,255.37 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $1,619,282,885.14 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $1,654,616,426.93 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $1,710,902,647.49 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $1,726,440,483.64 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $1,727,835,105.27 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $1,705,996,456.12 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $1,707,930,998.54 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $1,702,059,620.60 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $1,702,633,937.88 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $1,680,917,239.94 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $1,599,982,280.59 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $1,639,467,375.44 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $1,721,961,642.69 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $1,769,358,974.36 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $1,781,608,296.85 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $1,780,335,365.85 | -0.07%* |
* 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 | 1913 | 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 |
| CPI | 14.900 | 15.000 | 15.450 | 17.350 | 21.200 | 29.550 | 37.733 | 42.800 | 31.625 | 26.860 | 27.100 | 26.760 | 26.300 | 25.833 | 25.267 | 24.967 | 24.667 | 24.067 | 21.600 | 19.200 | 19.067 | 20.667 | 20.800 | 21.033 | 22.140 | 21.860 | 21.620 | 21.814 | 22.815 | 26.700 | 27.854 | 29.808 | 31.346 | 34.392 | 39.862 | 42.508 | 40.831 | 40.285 | 43.923 | 43.454 | 43.169 | 43.023 | 42.885 | 43.746 | 44.500 | 44.669 | 45.023 | 45.700 | 46.062 | 46.315 | 46.885 | 47.285 | 47.738 | 49.015 | 51.015 | 53.738 | 56.831 | 59.177 | 61.092 | 62.354 | 64.638 | 69.431 | 72.523 | 75.238 | 78.608 | 81.369 | 84.931 | 90.938 | 95.277 | 97.777 | 100.192 | 102.038 | 105.023 | 105.915 | 110.577 | 115.377 | 118.585 | 124.085 | 128.708 | 131.877 | 133.662 | 133.400 | 131.962 | 131.700 | 132.854 | 133.023 | 131.292 | 129.577 | 127.269 | 124.023 | 120.877 | 120.431 | 119.538 | 119.454 | 118.998 | 118.907 | 120.078 | 119.503 | 122.111 | 126.265 | 127.411 | 127.514 | 125.903 | 126.045 | 125.612 | 125.654 | 124.052 | 118.079 | 120.993 | 127.081 | 130.579 | 131.483 | 131.389 |