According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 786.44% higher in 2026 versus 1915 (a $125,829,634,551,495,024 difference in value).
Between 1915 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.99% per year. In other words, apparel costing $16,000,000,000,000,000 in the year 1915 would cost $141,829,634,551,495,024 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.18% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1915: Pricing changed by 0.33%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1915-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1915 (0.92%), inflation for apparel was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $16,000,000,000,000,000 beginning in 1915. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1915 | $16,000,000,000,000,000.00 | 0.33% |
| 1916 | $16,788,482,834,994,462.00 | 4.93% |
| 1917 | $19,410,852,713,178,296.00 | 15.62% |
| 1918 | $24,451,827,242,524,916.00 | 25.97% |
| 1919 | $36,146,179,401,993,360.00 | 47.83% |
| 1920 | $46,361,018,826,135,104.00 | 28.26% |
| 1921 | $37,085,271,317,829,456.00 | -20.01% |
| 1922 | $28,872,646,733,111,856.00 | -22.15% |
| 1923 | $28,704,318,936,877,080.00 | -0.58% |
| 1924 | $28,580,287,929,125,144.00 | -0.43% |
| 1925 | $28,048,726,467,331,120.00 | -1.86% |
| 1926 | $27,650,055,370,985,600.00 | -1.42% |
| 1927 | $27,109,634,551,495,020.00 | -1.95% |
| 1928 | $26,613,510,520,487,264.00 | -1.83% |
| 1929 | $26,338,870,431,893,692.00 | -1.03% |
| 1930 | $26,002,214,839,424,144.00 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $24,035,437,430,786,268.00 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $21,138,427,464,008,864.00 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $19,703,211,517,165,008.00 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $21,765,025,672,002,416.00 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $22,088,423,204,702,280.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $22,334,440,753,045,404.00 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $23,362,126,245,847,172.00 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $23,370,985,603,543,748.00 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $22,990,033,222,591,364.00 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $23,184,939,091,915,836.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $24,256,921,373,200,452.00 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $28,385,382,059,800,668.00 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $29,616,832,779,623,484.00 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $31,689,922,480,620,156.00 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $33,320,044,296,788,492.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $36,562,569,213,732,008.00 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $42,374,307,862,679,960.00 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $45,191,583,610,188,264.00 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $43,410,852,713,178,304.00 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $42,826,135,105,204,880.00 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $46,697,674,418,604,664.00 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $46,192,691,029,900,328.00 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $45,900,332,225,913,632.00 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $45,732,004,429,678,856.00 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $45,590,254,706,533,784.00 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $46,511,627,906,976,744.00 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $47,308,970,099,667,784.00 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $47,495,016,611,295,704.00 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $47,867,109,634,551,504.00 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $48,584,717,607,973,416.00 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $48,965,669,988,925,800.00 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $49,240,310,077,519,384.00 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $49,842,746,400,885,944.00 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $50,267,995,570,321,152.00 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $50,746,400,885,935,768.00 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $52,110,741,971,207,096.00 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $54,236,987,818,383,176.00 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $57,133,997,785,160,584.00 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $60,420,819,490,586,928.00 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $62,910,299,003,322,264.00 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $64,947,951,273,532,680.00 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $66,294,573,643,410,848.00 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $68,722,037,652,270,216.00 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $73,816,168,327,796,240.00 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $77,102,990,033,222,592.00 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $79,991,140,642,303,424.00 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $83,570,321,151,716,496.00 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $86,502,768,549,280,192.00 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $90,294,573,643,410,864.00 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $96,682,170,542,635,648.00 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $101,289,036,544,850,496.00 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $103,946,843,853,820,576.00 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $106,516,057,585,825,008.00 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $108,473,975,636,766,352.00 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $111,654,485,049,833,856.00 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $112,602,436,323,366,592.00 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $117,554,817,275,747,520.00 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $122,657,807,308,970,112.00 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $126,068,660,022,148,400.00 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $131,915,836,101,882,608.00 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $136,832,779,623,477,312.00 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $140,199,335,548,172,784.00 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $142,095,238,095,238,096.00 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $141,820,598,006,644,528.00 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $140,287,929,125,138,448.00 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $140,013,289,036,544,880.00 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $141,235,880,398,671,088.00 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $141,421,926,910,298,992.00 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $139,579,180,509,413,072.00 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $137,754,152,823,920,288.00 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $135,300,110,741,971,216.00 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $131,853,820,598,006,640.00 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $128,504,983,388,704,336.00 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $128,035,437,430,786,288.00 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $127,087,486,157,253,616.00 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $126,990,033,222,591,392.00 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $126,509,767,441,860,480.00 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $126,412,668,881,506,112.00 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $127,657,851,605,758,608.00 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $127,046,467,331,118,512.00 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $129,818,648,947,951,264.00 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $134,234,772,978,959,008.00 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $135,453,909,191,583,616.00 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $135,563,322,259,136,224.00 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $133,849,833,887,043,168.00 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $134,001,683,277,962,336.00 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $133,540,996,677,740,896.00 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $133,586,090,808,416,400.00 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $131,882,170,542,635,664.00 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $125,532,137,320,044,304.00 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $128,630,077,519,379,872.00 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $135,102,458,471,760,816.00 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $138,821,173,864,894,784.00 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $139,782,236,987,818,368.00 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $139,963,942,414,174,992.00 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $141,829,634,551,495,024.00 | 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 |