Women's dresses price inflation, 1935→2026

Women's Dresses Inflation Calculator

Prices for Women's Dresses, 1935-2026 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for women's dresses are 264.42% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $52.88 difference in value).

Between 1935 and 2026: Women's dresses experienced an average inflation rate of 1.43% per year. In other words, women's dresses costing $20 in the year 1935 would cost $72.88 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.54% during this same period, inflation for women's dresses was lower.

Price Inflation for Women's dresses since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1942 (20.19%), 2020 (-16.05%), and 1947 (13.93%).

View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $20.00 since 1935

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Women's dresses, over time, for $20 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	$20.00	-
1936	$20.07	0.36%
1937	$20.62	2.75%
1938	$20.38	-1.20%
1939	$20.32	-0.25%
1940	$20.36	0.17%
1941	$21.02	3.24%
1942	$25.26	20.19%
1943	$26.37	4.40%
1944	$28.86	9.43%
1945	$30.44	5.49%
1946	$30.99	1.80%
1947	$35.31	13.93%
1948	$38.15	8.05%
1949	$33.78	-11.45%
1950	$29.70	-12.08%
1951	$31.99	7.71%
1952	$31.89	-0.30%
1953	$32.10	0.67%
1954	$32.21	0.32%
1955	$32.34	0.42%
1956	$32.60	0.80%
1957	$33.00	1.23%
1958	$33.07	0.20%
1959	$33.85	2.37%
1960	$34.03	0.52%
1961	$34.12	0.28%
1962	$34.20	0.23%
1963	$34.45	0.73%
1964	$35.02	1.65%
1965	$35.56	1.55%
1966	$37.36	5.06%
1967	$40.39	8.12%
1968	$45.19	11.89%
1969	$50.03	10.70%
1970	$52.76	5.45%
1971	$52.00	-1.43%
1972	$53.03	1.97%
1973	$55.35	4.38%
1974	$57.39	3.70%
1975	$58.78	2.41%
1976	$60.87	3.57%
1977	$63.12	3.69%
1978	$64.57	2.30%
1979	$66.89	3.60%
1980	$66.88	-0.02%
1981	$66.93	0.08%
1982	$65.12	-2.70%
1983	$67.34	3.40%
1984	$70.45	4.63%
1985	$71.88	2.02%
1986	$71.01	-1.21%
1987	$78.85	11.04%
1988	$83.51	5.91%
1989	$83.55	0.04%
1990	$87.28	4.47%
1991	$90.55	3.74%
1992	$90.39	-0.17%
1993	$92.09	1.88%
1994	$86.82	-5.73%
1995	$82.00	-5.54%
1996	$76.10	-7.20%
1997	$75.08	-1.34%
1998	$76.88	2.39%
1999	$73.12	-4.89%
2000	$68.04	-6.95%
2001	$66.60	-2.12%
2002	$70.25	5.48%
2003	$69.19	-1.51%
2004	$68.55	-0.92%
2005	$70.10	2.26%
2006	$75.27	7.37%
2007	$76.29	1.35%
2008	$76.26	-0.04%
2009	$79.11	3.74%
2010	$75.33	-4.78%
2011	$78.62	4.37%
2012	$81.97	4.26%
2013	$82.42	0.55%
2014	$84.84	2.93%
2015	$83.02	-2.14%
2016	$81.30	-2.07%
2017	$83.23	2.37%
2018	$85.92	3.23%
2019	$78.78	-8.31%
2020	$66.14	-16.05%
2021	$68.32	3.30%
2022	$71.86	5.18%
2023	$72.49	0.87%
2024	$71.90	-0.81%
2025	$73.04	1.58%
2026	$72.88	-0.21%*

* 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 Women's dresses:

Year	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	29.570	29.675	30.492	30.125	30.050	30.100	31.075	37.350	38.992	42.667	45.008	45.817	52.200	56.400	49.942	43.908	47.292	47.150	47.467	47.617	47.817	48.200	48.792	48.892	50.050	50.308	50.450	50.567	50.933	51.775	52.575	55.233	59.717	66.817	73.967	78.000	76.883	78.400	81.833	84.858	86.900	90.000	93.317	95.467	98.900	98.883	98.958	96.283	99.558	104.167	106.275	104.992	116.583	123.475	123.525	129.050	133.875	133.642	136.158	128.358	121.242	112.517	111.008	113.667	108.108	100.600	98.467	103.867	102.300	101.358	103.650	111.292	112.797	112.748	116.963	111.375	116.246	121.196	121.864	125.433	122.750	120.207	123.058	127.034	116.481	97.790	101.016	106.246	107.174	106.311	107.989	107.759

Adjust women's dresses prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2026 / CPI in 1935 * 1935 USD value = 2026 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Women's dresses was 29.570 in the year 1935 and 107.759 in 2026:

107.759 / 29.570 * $20 = $72.88

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1935 has the same "purchasing power" as $72.88 in 2026 (in the CPI category of Women's dresses).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Women's dresses in 1935. In addition to women's dresses, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.