Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Impact from Adoption of Revenue Accounting Standards (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		May 04, 2019	Feb. 03, 2019		Feb. 02, 2019	May 05, 2018	Feb. 03, 2018
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cash and equivalents		$ 586,133	$ 723,135	[1]	$ 723,135	$ 591,960	$ 675,558
Receivables		82,026	73,112	[1]	73,112
Inventories		432,350	437,879	[1]	437,879
Other current assets (2)		71,803	70,514	[1]	101,824
Total current assets		1,172,312	1,304,640	[1]	1,335,950
Property and equipment, net (3)		633,686	648,231	[1]	694,855
Operating lease right-of-use assets (2)		1,252,249	1,234,515	[1]	0
Other assets (2) (5)		364,719	370,341	[1]	354,788
Total assets		3,422,966	3,557,727	[1]	2,385,593
Accounts payable		180,041	226,878	[1]	226,878
Accrued expenses (2)		240,050	280,071	[1]	293,579
Short-term portion of operating lease liabilities (4)		278,392	280,108	[1]	0
Short-term portion of deferred lease credits (2)		16,022	0	[1]	19,558
Income taxes payable		0	18,902	[1]	18,902
Total current liabilities		714,505	805,959	[1]	558,917
Long-term portion of operating lease liabilities (4)		1,207,103	1,193,946	[1]	0
Long-term portion of borrowings, net		250,736	250,439	[1]	250,439
Long-term portion of deferred lease credits (2)		0	0	[1]	76,134
Leasehold financing obligations (3)		0	0	[1]	46,337
Other liabilities (2) (5)		145,659	163,927	[1]	235,145
Total long-term liabilities		1,603,498	1,608,312	[1]	608,055
Class A Common Stock		1,033	1,033	[1]	1,033
Paid-in capital		395,974	405,379	[1]	405,379
Retained earnings (6)		2,296,347	2,343,379	[1]	2,418,544
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax		(105,291)	(102,452)	[1]	(102,452)	(91,133)	(95,054)
Treasury stock, at average cost		1,493,224	1,513,604	[1]	1,513,604
Total Abercrombie & Fitch Co. stockholders’ equity		1,094,839	1,133,735	[1]	1,208,900
Noncontrolling interests		10,124	9,721	[1]	9,721
Total stockholders' equity		1,104,963	1,143,456	[1]	1,218,621	$ 1,188,846	$ 1,252,471
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity		$ 3,422,966	3,557,727	[1]	$ 2,385,593
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cash and equivalents			0
Receivables			0
Inventories			0
Other current assets (2)	[2]		(31,310)
Total current assets			(31,310)
Property and equipment, net (3)	[3]		(46,624)
Operating lease right-of-use assets (2)	[2]		1,234,515
Other assets (2) (5)	[2],[4]		15,553
Total assets			1,172,134
Accounts payable			0
Accrued expenses (2)	[2]		(13,508)
Short-term portion of operating lease liabilities (4)	[5]		280,108
Short-term portion of deferred lease credits (2)			(19,558)
Income taxes payable			0
Total current liabilities			247,042
Long-term portion of operating lease liabilities (4)	[5]		1,193,946
Long-term portion of borrowings, net			0
Long-term portion of deferred lease credits (2)	[2]		(76,134)
Leasehold financing obligations (3)	[3]		(46,337)
Other liabilities (2) (5)	[2],[4]		(71,218)
Total long-term liabilities			1,000,257
Class A Common Stock			0
Paid-in capital			0
Retained earnings (6)	[6]		(75,165)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax			0
Treasury stock, at average cost			0
Total Abercrombie & Fitch Co. stockholders’ equity			(75,165)
Noncontrolling interests			0
Total stockholders' equity			(75,165)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity			$ 1,172,134

[1] Amounts under “Upon adoption on February 3, 2019 (under new lease accounting standard),” are calculated as February 2, 2019 reported balances adjusted for the impact of adoption on the first day of Fiscal 2019, February 3, 2019.

[2] Upon adoption, the Company recognized assets for the rights to use its operating leases on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. In conjunction with this recognition, the Company reclassified amounts to operating lease right-of-use assets including: short-term prepaid rent from other current assets; key money, long-term prepaid rent and leasehold acquisition costs from other assets; short-term and long-term portions of deferred lease credits; accrued rent and accrued straight-line rent from accrued expenses and other liabilities, respectively.

[3] Upon adoption, the Company derecognized construction project assets and related leasehold financing obligations that previously failed to qualify for sale and leaseback accounting. In certain instances, these construction project assets had shielded other assets included within their respective asset groups from impairment, as the fair value of the construction project assets had exceeded the carrying values of their respective asset groups. In such instances, the Company recognized impairment of certain leasehold improvements and store assets upon adoption.

[4] Upon adoption, the Company established net deferred tax assets for operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities.

[5] Upon adoption, the Company recognized operating lease liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet.

[6] Upon adoption, the Company recognized a cumulative adjustment decreasing the opening balance of retained earnings, primarily related to right-of-use asset impairment charges for certain of the Company’s stores where it was previously determined that the carrying value of assets was not recoverable, partially offset by benefits to retained earnings to establish net deferred tax assets and a net gain resulting from the derecognition of certain leased building assets and related leasehold financing obligations that previously failed to qualify for sale and leaseback accounting.