According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 524.55% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $64,759,690,608.73 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2026: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.03% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $12,345,678,900 in the year 1935 would cost $77,105,369,508.73 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 $12,345,678,900 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 | $12,345,678,900.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $12,483,183,221.95 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $13,057,578,007.25 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $13,062,529,686.43 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $12,849,607,481.53 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $12,958,544,423.57 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $13,557,697,604.79 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $15,865,180,104.37 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $16,553,463,510.89 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $17,712,156,439.86 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $18,623,265,409.65 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $20,435,579,990.86 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $23,683,881,535.33 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $25,258,515,515.73 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $24,263,227,999.81 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $23,936,417,173.69 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $26,100,300,976.94 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $25,818,055,263.48 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $25,654,649,850.42 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $25,560,567,945.93 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $25,481,341,078.99 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $25,996,315,714.09 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $26,441,966,840.61 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $26,545,952,103.47 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $26,753,922,629.18 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $27,155,008,643.06 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $27,367,930,847.95 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $27,521,432,902.65 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $27,858,147,087.13 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $28,095,827,687.95 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $28,363,218,363.87 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $29,125,776,958.15 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $30,314,179,962.22 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $31,933,379,055.27 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $33,770,452,032.40 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $35,161,873,883.00 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $36,300,760,095.23 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $37,053,415,331.15 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $38,410,175,427.46 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $41,257,390,958.05 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $43,094,463,935.18 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $44,708,711,349.05 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $46,709,189,739.24 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $48,348,195,549.02 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $50,467,514,239.61 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $54,037,674,931.02 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $56,612,548,106.51 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $58,098,051,861.60 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $59,534,038,824.85 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $60,628,359,924.44 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $62,406,012,751.36 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $62,935,842,424.01 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $65,703,831,087.66 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $68,555,998,297.44 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $70,462,394,783.14 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $73,730,503,044.34 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $76,478,684,991.25 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $78,360,323,081.03 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $79,419,982,426.33 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $79,266,480,371.64 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $78,409,839,872.87 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $78,256,337,818.18 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $78,939,669,545.52 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $79,043,654,808.38 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $78,013,705,538.18 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $76,993,659,626.35 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $75,622,044,492.48 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $73,695,841,290.05 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $71,824,106,558.64 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $71,561,667,561.90 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $71,031,837,889.25 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $70,977,369,418.23 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $70,708,938,889.69 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $70,654,668,485.84 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $71,350,626,995.10 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $71,008,911,614.63 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $72,558,341,547.99 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $75,026,605,070.65 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $75,708,005,643.11 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $75,769,158,881.03 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $74,811,454,610.12 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $74,896,326,391.33 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $74,638,839,073.78 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $74,664,043,120.83 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $73,711,686,663.44 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $70,162,521,091.77 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $71,894,024,268.71 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $75,511,572,529.90 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $77,590,039,867.23 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $78,127,198,025.07 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $78,419,527,157.96 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $77,105,369,508.73 | -1.68%* |
* 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 | 131.975 | 129.763 |