Here’s how high prices are in the fashion industry

Prices are rising across the fashion industry, with jackets and outerwear seeing the largest year-over-year increases, according to a new report from consulting firm AlixPartners published on Wednesday.

The company analyzed how much prices would rise between 2024 and 2025 across nine categories, from swimwear to dresses. Prices in all categories I tracked rose by an average of $17 year over year.

Jackets and outerwear saw the largest increase, with prices rising on average by 24%, while swimwear saw the smallest increase of 2% on average.

As temperatures in the U.S. begin to drop and winter approaches, consumers looking for new coats and jackets could spend a lot more at the register — if they choose to buy. One factor impacting this category is the late start of fall, which typically results in weak demand for outerwear. Along with higher prices, retailers that bet big on outerwear in the fall and winter months may have difficulty moving product, which could lead to inventory challenges in the spring, said Sonia Lapinski, head of AlixPartners’ global fashion practice and author of the report.

“[Retailers] “You have a normal discounting cadence that says by late November, early December, you’ve already started putting these things on sale, at a discount, and the consumer probably hasn’t thought about it by then,” Lapinski said.

“We’ve had a lot of discussions with retailers about the full flow of their seasons, and some have made decisions to push some products out more because fall is starting to feel like late summer,” she added. “Not all of them were that reactive. So not making any adjustments would be quite a cause for concern.”

Here’s how much prices have risen in the fashion industry by category.