The data illustrates the average expenditure for apparel in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) from 2010 to 2017, by segment. In 2017, the Consumer Price Index for men's and boys' apparel was 117.24, under the average for apparel, but still higher than all other segments but footwear.
The price of apparel is of prime importance to consumers. In a survey of holiday shoppers in 2017, 50% of consumers stated that they would be waiting for Black Friday deals in order to purchase apparel.
Perhaps, in part, a reflection of the higher cost of men's apparel, spending by men on their top apparel category, "shirts, sweaters, and vests" was nearly half of women's annual expenditure in the same category in 2016.
