According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 542.10% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $196,239,985,560.90 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.06% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $36,200,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $232,439,985,560.90 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 $36,200,000,000 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 | $36,200,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $36,603,190,176.48 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $38,287,430,581.27 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $38,301,949,895.10 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $37,677,619,400.22 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $37,997,044,304.58 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $39,753,881,278.54 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $46,519,881,525.36 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $48,538,066,148.34 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $51,935,585,585.59 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $54,607,139,331.11 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $59,921,208,194.50 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $69,445,878,069.85 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $74,063,019,869.18 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $71,144,637,788.47 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $70,186,363,075.40 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $76,531,303,221.03 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $75,703,702,332.47 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $75,224,564,975.93 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $74,948,698,013.08 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $74,716,388,991.73 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $76,226,397,630.51 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $77,533,135,875.60 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $77,838,041,466.12 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $78,447,852,647.17 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $79,623,917,067.75 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $80,248,247,562.63 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $80,698,346,291.50 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $81,685,659,632.23 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $82,382,586,696.29 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $83,166,629,643.34 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $85,402,603,973.84 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $88,887,239,294.09 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $93,635,054,917.93 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $99,021,720,350.49 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $103,101,647,537.95 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $106,441,089,719.86 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $108,648,025,422.68 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $112,626,317,413.30 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $120,974,922,868.07 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $126,361,588,300.63 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $131,094,884,610.64 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $136,960,687,399.73 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $141,766,580,278.91 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $147,980,846,600.02 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $158,449,271,874.61 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $165,999,315,068.49 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $170,355,109,218.81 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $174,565,710,230.78 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $177,774,478,588.18 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $182,986,912,254.72 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $184,540,478,835.00 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $192,656,775,268.42 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $201,019,900,037.02 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $206,609,835,863.26 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $216,192,582,993.95 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $224,250,802,172.04 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $229,768,141,429.10 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $232,875,274,589.66 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $232,425,175,860.79 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $229,913,334,567.44 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $229,463,235,838.58 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $231,466,901,147.72 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $231,771,806,738.25 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $228,751,789,460.69 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $225,760,810,810.81 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $221,738,960,878.69 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $216,090,947,797.11 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $210,602,647,167.72 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $209,833,123,534.49 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $208,279,556,954.21 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $208,119,844,502.04 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $207,332,752,499.07 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $207,173,620,819.45 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $209,214,310,378.87 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $208,212,332,531.16 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $212,755,571,023.08 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $219,993,013,390.10 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $221,991,016,166.85 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $222,170,329,692.71 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $219,362,149,204.00 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $219,611,010,243.12 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $218,856,005,923.73 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $218,929,909,231.15 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $216,137,409,601.38 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $205,730,546,217.45 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $210,807,659,879.06 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $221,415,034,987.04 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $227,509,516,969.02 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $229,084,572,133.78 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $229,382,363,260.52 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $232,439,985,560.90 | 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 |