According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 531.68% higher in 2025 versus 1935 (a $10,667,761,281.36 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.07% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $2,006,437,677 in the year 1935 would cost $12,674,198,958.36 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.56% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1935: Pricing changed by 0.65%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1935-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1935 (2.53%), inflation for apparel was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $2,006,437,677 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 | $2,006,437,677.00 | 0.65% |
| 1936 | $2,028,945,791.97 | 1.12% |
| 1937 | $2,135,698,565.81 | 5.26% |
| 1938 | $2,108,688,827.85 | -1.26% |
| 1939 | $2,085,537,623.88 | -1.10% |
| 1940 | $2,104,279,074.71 | 0.90% |
| 1941 | $2,200,848,428.25 | 4.59% |
| 1942 | $2,575,571,441.15 | 17.03% |
| 1943 | $2,686,875,306.37 | 4.32% |
| 1944 | $2,875,349,851.47 | 7.01% |
| 1945 | $3,023,755,005.09 | 5.16% |
| 1946 | $3,317,597,209.27 | 9.72% |
| 1947 | $3,845,177,530.40 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $4,100,434,394.64 | 6.64% |
| 1949 | $3,938,672,777.19 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $3,885,988,947.65 | -1.34% |
| 1951 | $4,236,967,135.97 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | $4,191,703,564.12 | -1.07% |
| 1953 | $4,164,248,610.70 | -0.65% |
| 1954 | $4,150,150,121.10 | -0.34% |
| 1955 | $4,136,793,657.28 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $4,219,900,543.31 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $4,292,619,068.58 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $4,308,943,635.48 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $4,343,076,820.81 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $4,408,375,088.41 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $4,443,250,299.51 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $4,467,737,149.86 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $4,522,647,056.70 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $4,561,232,396.64 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $4,605,011,916.96 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $4,728,188,194.47 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $4,921,114,894.18 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $5,183,792,016.10 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $5,482,086,374.88 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $5,708,404,234.16 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $5,893,168,650.42 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $6,014,860,876.39 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $6,235,242,529.52 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $6,697,524,583.06 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $6,995,818,941.85 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $7,257,754,037.99 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $7,582,761,324.43 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $7,849,148,575.19 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $8,192,706,505.83 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $8,772,228,630.73 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $9,190,731,163.95 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $9,431,889,538.59 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $9,664,885,629.78 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $9,842,971,814.13 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $10,130,877,812.16 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $10,216,952,801.26 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $10,666,620,416.74 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $11,129,644,496.05 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $11,439,069,241.36 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $11,969,617,665.56 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $12,415,575,152.21 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $12,721,289,768.67 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $12,893,439,746.88 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $12,868,210,870.76 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $12,729,452,052.12 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $12,704,223,176.00 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $12,815,527,041.22 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $12,831,851,608.12 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $12,664,895,810.29 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $12,499,424,064.00 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $12,276,816,333.57 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $11,963,681,459.42 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $11,660,192,920.26 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $11,617,155,425.71 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $11,531,080,436.61 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $11,522,918,153.16 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $11,478,967,966.91 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $11,470,160,121.04 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $11,583,140,964.50 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $11,527,667,118.07 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $11,779,206,433.21 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $12,179,907,768.25 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $12,290,521,549.50 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $12,300,449,854.28 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $12,144,980,615.34 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $12,158,752,613.60 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $12,116,954,302.08 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $12,121,042,864.07 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $11,966,441,795.28 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $11,390,266,206.59 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $11,671,360,408.07 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $12,258,636,702.25 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $12,596,058,079.79 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $12,683,260,948.06 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $12,674,198,958.36 | -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 |