According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 392.09% higher in 2025 versus 1942 (a $3,528,834.27 difference in value).
Between 1942 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.94% per year. In other words, apparel costing $900,000 in the year 1942 would cost $4,428,834.27 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.65% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1942: Pricing changed by 17.03%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1942-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1942 (10.92%), inflation for apparel was much higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $900,000 beginning in 1942. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1942 | $900,000.00 | 17.03% |
| 1943 | $938,893.69 | 4.32% |
| 1944 | $1,004,753.67 | 7.01% |
| 1945 | $1,056,611.93 | 5.16% |
| 1946 | $1,159,291.27 | 9.72% |
| 1947 | $1,343,647.36 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $1,432,843.56 | 6.64% |
| 1949 | $1,376,318.06 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $1,357,908.38 | -1.34% |
| 1951 | $1,480,553.15 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | $1,464,736.39 | -1.07% |
| 1953 | $1,455,142.61 | -0.65% |
| 1954 | $1,450,216.08 | -0.34% |
| 1955 | $1,445,548.83 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $1,474,589.46 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $1,500,000.00 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $1,505,704.41 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $1,517,631.81 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $1,540,449.44 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $1,552,636.13 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $1,561,192.74 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $1,580,380.29 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $1,593,863.44 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $1,609,161.62 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $1,652,203.98 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $1,719,619.71 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $1,811,408.82 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $1,915,643.91 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $1,994,727.74 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $2,059,291.27 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $2,101,815.04 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $2,178,824.55 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $2,340,363.01 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $2,444,598.10 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $2,536,127.92 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $2,649,697.49 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $2,742,783.06 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $2,862,834.92 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $3,065,341.40 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $3,211,581.68 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $3,295,851.34 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $3,377,268.80 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $3,439,498.70 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $3,540,103.72 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $3,570,181.50 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $3,727,312.01 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $3,889,109.77 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $3,997,234.23 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $4,182,627.48 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $4,338,461.54 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $4,445,289.54 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $4,505,445.12 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $4,496,629.21 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $4,448,141.75 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $4,439,325.84 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $4,478,219.53 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $4,483,923.94 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $4,425,583.41 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $4,367,761.45 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $4,289,974.07 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $4,180,553.15 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $4,074,503.03 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $4,059,464.13 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $4,029,386.34 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $4,026,534.14 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $4,011,176.32 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $4,008,098.53 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $4,047,578.22 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $4,028,193.60 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $4,116,090.75 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $4,256,110.63 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $4,294,763.18 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $4,298,232.50 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $4,243,905.79 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $4,248,718.24 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $4,234,112.36 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $4,235,541.05 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $4,181,517.72 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $3,980,180.64 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $4,078,405.36 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $4,283,621.43 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $4,401,528.95 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $4,432,000.86 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $4,428,834.27 | -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 |