According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 205.92% higher in 2026 versus 1920 (a $2,574,054,079.88 difference in value).
Between 1920 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.06% per year. In other words, apparel costing $1,250,000,000 in the year 1920 would cost $3,824,054,079.88 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.67% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1920: Pricing changed by 28.26%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1920-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1920 (15.63%), inflation for apparel was much higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $1,250,000,000 beginning in 1920. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | $1,250,000,000.00 | 28.26% |
| 1921 | $999,904,452.51 | -20.01% |
| 1922 | $778,473,151.16 | -22.15% |
| 1923 | $773,934,645.52 | -0.58% |
| 1924 | $770,590,483.47 | -0.43% |
| 1925 | $756,258,360.41 | -1.86% |
| 1926 | $745,509,268.11 | -1.42% |
| 1927 | $730,938,276.32 | -1.95% |
| 1928 | $717,561,628.13 | -1.83% |
| 1929 | $710,156,697.88 | -1.03% |
| 1930 | $701,079,686.60 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $648,050,831.26 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $569,940,760.56 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $531,244,028.28 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $586,835,293.50 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $595,554,836.91 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $602,188,037.45 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $629,896,808.71 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $630,135,677.43 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $619,864,322.57 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $625,119,434.36 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $654,022,549.21 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $765,335,371.68 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $798,538,123.45 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $854,433,403.40 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $898,385,247.47 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $985,811,198.17 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $1,142,509,077.01 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $1,218,469,329.26 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $1,170,456,716.99 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $1,154,691,381.62 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $1,259,077,011.27 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $1,245,461,494.36 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $1,237,578,826.68 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $1,233,040,321.04 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $1,229,218,421.56 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $1,254,060,768.20 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $1,275,558,952.80 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $1,280,575,195.87 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $1,290,607,682.02 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $1,309,956,048.16 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $1,320,227,403.02 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $1,327,632,333.27 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $1,343,875,406.08 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $1,355,341,104.53 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $1,368,240,015.29 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $1,405,025,797.82 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $1,462,354,290.08 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $1,540,464,360.79 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $1,629,084,655.07 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $1,696,206,764.76 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $1,751,146,569.85 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $1,787,454,614.94 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $1,852,904,643.61 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $1,990,254,156.32 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $2,078,874,450.60 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $2,156,745,652.59 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $2,253,248,614.56 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $2,332,314,160.14 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $2,434,549,971.34 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $2,606,774,316.84 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $2,730,986,050.07 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $2,802,646,665.39 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $2,871,918,593.54 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $2,924,708,580.16 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $3,010,462,449.84 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $3,036,021,402.64 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $3,169,549,015.86 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $3,307,137,397.29 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $3,399,101,853.62 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $3,556,755,207.34 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $3,689,327,345.69 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $3,780,097,458.44 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $3,831,215,364.04 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $3,823,810,433.79 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $3,782,486,145.61 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $3,775,081,215.36 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $3,808,045,098.41 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $3,813,061,341.49 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $3,763,376,648.19 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $3,714,169,692.34 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $3,648,003,057.52 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $3,555,083,126.31 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $3,464,790,751.00 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $3,452,130,708.96 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $3,426,571,756.16 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $3,423,944,200.27 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $3,410,995,127.08 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $3,408,377,125.93 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $3,441,950,124.21 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $3,425,465,794.00 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $3,500,210,204.47 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $3,619,279,094.21 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $3,652,149,818.46 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $3,655,099,847.12 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $3,608,900,248.42 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $3,612,994,458.25 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $3,600,573,284.92 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $3,601,789,126.70 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $3,555,847,506.21 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $3,384,635,964.07 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $3,468,163,577.30 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $3,642,673,896.43 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $3,742,939,040.70 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $3,768,851,519.21 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $3,773,750,716.61 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $3,824,054,079.88 | 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 |