Sartorial Thread reference
A current reference on household apparel spending, specialty clothing retail, and the tailoring workforce.
Last updated September 23, 2026
The numbers
These figures bring together the latest available federal data on what Americans spend on clothing, how specialty apparel retail is performing, and the people who make and alter garments. Every figure is linked to its original source and dated to the reporting period it covers.
$2,001
In 2024, the average U.S. consumer unit spent $2,001 on apparel and services, a category that includes clothing, footwear, and dry cleaning.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditures, 2024-2.0%
Average spending on apparel and services was 2.0% lower in 2024 than in 2023, after adjusting for the category reported in the annual consumer-expenditure release.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditures, 20242.5%
Apparel and services accounted for about 2.5% of the average U.S. consumer unit's annual expenditures in 2024.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditures, 2024$271.7B
This is a transparent calculation, not a separately reported total: $2,001 average annual spending multiplied by 135.76 million consumer units reported for 2024.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditures, 2024$10.34B
Men's clothing stores recorded $10.34 billion in estimated sales during 2024.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Retail Trade Survey$31.67B
Women's clothing stores recorded $31.67 billion in estimated sales during 2024.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Retail Trade Survey$132.55B
Family clothing stores recorded $132.55 billion in estimated sales during 2024.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Retail Trade Survey16,290
The May 2024 occupational estimate counted 16,290 people in this occupation nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024$21.18
The same May 2024 occupational estimate reported a mean annual wage of $44,050 for this specialty.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024Method and sources
Figures come from the latest available annual federal releases at the time of publication. Dollar amounts are shown in nominal U.S. dollars and are rounded to two decimal places when converted from source tables reported in thousands.
The $271.7 billion household-spending figure is the sole calculated estimate on this page. It multiplies the Bureau of Labor Statistics' reported $2,001 average annual apparel-and-services spending by its reported 135.76 million consumer units. All other figures are reported directly by their cited source.
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