Supplemental Guarantor Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 28, 2012	Jan. 29, 2011	Jan. 30, 2010
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Operating Activities	$ 1,266	$ 1,284	$ 1,174
Investing Activities
Capital Expenditures	(426)	(274)	(202)
Proceeds from Sale of Assets			32
Proceeds from Divestiture of Third-Party Apparel Sourcing Business	124	0	0
Proceeds from Sales of Express Common Stock	99	73
Net Proceeds from the Divestiture of Joint Venture		32	9
Proceeds from Divestiture of Limited Stores	0	0	9
Net Investments in Consolidated Affiliates	0	0	0
Other Investing Activities	(23)	7	(1)
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities	(226)	(106)	(162)
Financing Activities
Proceeds from Long-term Debt, Net of Issuance and Discount Costs	981	390	473
Payments of Long-term Debt	0	(645)	(656)
Financing Costs	(7)	(14)	(19)
Repurchase of Common Stock	(1,190)	(207)	0
Dividends Paid	(1,144)	(1,488)	(193)
Excess Tax Benefits from Share-based Compensation	48	19	0
Net Financing Activities and Advances to/from Consolidated Affiliates	0	0	0
Proceeds From Exercise of Stock Options and Other	75	88	8
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities	(1,237)	(1,857)	(387)
Effects of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	2	5	6
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(195)	(674)	631
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Year	1,130	1,804	1,173
Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Year	935	1,130	1,804
Express [Member]
Investing Activities
Proceeds from Sale of Assets	0	49	0
Return of Capital		49
Limited Stores [Member]
Investing Activities
Proceeds from Sale of Assets	0	7	0
Proceeds from Divestiture of Third-Party Apparel Sourcing Business	0	32	0
Return of Capital		7
Limited Brands, Inc. [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Operating Activities	73	(355)	(279)
Investing Activities
Capital Expenditures	0	0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets			0
Proceeds from Divestiture of Third-Party Apparel Sourcing Business	0
Proceeds from Sales of Express Common Stock	0	0
Net Proceeds from the Divestiture of Joint Venture		0	0
Net Investments in Consolidated Affiliates	0	0	0
Other Investing Activities	0	0	(3)
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities	0	0	(3)
Financing Activities
Proceeds from Long-term Debt, Net of Issuance and Discount Costs	981	390	473
Payments of Long-term Debt		(645)	(656)
Financing Costs	(7)	(14)	(19)
Repurchase of Common Stock	(1,190)	(207)
Dividends Paid	(1,144)	(1,488)	(193)
Excess Tax Benefits from Share-based Compensation	0	0
Net Financing Activities and Advances to/from Consolidated Affiliates	1,212	2,231	669
Proceeds From Exercise of Stock Options and Other	75	88	8
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities	(73)	355	282
Effects of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	0	0	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Year	0	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Year	0	0	0
Limited Brands, Inc. [Member] | Express [Member]
Investing Activities
Return of Capital		0
Limited Brands, Inc. [Member] | Limited Stores [Member]
Investing Activities
Return of Capital		0
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Operating Activities	978	1,206	1,004
Investing Activities
Capital Expenditures	(219)	(129)	(120)
Proceeds from Sale of Assets			0
Proceeds from Divestiture of Third-Party Apparel Sourcing Business	78
Proceeds from Sales of Express Common Stock	0	0
Net Proceeds from the Divestiture of Joint Venture		0	0
Net Investments in Consolidated Affiliates	(36)	0	0
Other Investing Activities	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities	(177)	(129)	(120)
Financing Activities
Proceeds from Long-term Debt, Net of Issuance and Discount Costs	0	0	0
Payments of Long-term Debt		0	0
Financing Costs	0	0	0
Repurchase of Common Stock	0	0
Dividends Paid	0	0	0
Excess Tax Benefits from Share-based Compensation	39	15
Net Financing Activities and Advances to/from Consolidated Affiliates	(1,170)	(1,832)	(381)
Proceeds From Exercise of Stock Options and Other	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities	(1,131)	(1,817)	(381)
Effects of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	0	0	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(330)	(740)	503
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Year	701	1,441	938
Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Year	371	701	1,441
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Express [Member]
Investing Activities
Return of Capital		0
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Limited Stores [Member]
Investing Activities
Return of Capital		0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Operating Activities	215	433	449
Investing Activities
Capital Expenditures	(207)	(145)	(82)
Proceeds from Divestiture of Third-Party Apparel Sourcing Business	46
Proceeds from Sales of Express Common Stock	99	73
Net Proceeds from the Divestiture of Joint Venture		32	9
Net Investments in Consolidated Affiliates	0	29	(29)
Other Investing Activities	(23)	7	2
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities	(85)	52	(68)
Financing Activities
Proceeds from Long-term Debt, Net of Issuance and Discount Costs	0	0	0
Payments of Long-term Debt		0	0
Financing Costs	0	0	0
Repurchase of Common Stock	0	0
Dividends Paid	0	0	0
Excess Tax Benefits from Share-based Compensation	9	4
Net Financing Activities and Advances to/from Consolidated Affiliates	(6)	(428)	(259)
Proceeds From Exercise of Stock Options and Other	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities	3	(424)	(259)
Effects of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	2	5	6
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	135	66	128
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Year	429	363	235
Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Year	564	429	363
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Express [Member]
Investing Activities
Proceeds from Sale of Assets			32
Return of Capital		49
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Limited Stores [Member]
Investing Activities
Return of Capital		7
Eliminations
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Operating Activities	0	0	0
Investing Activities
Capital Expenditures	0	0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets			0
Proceeds from Divestiture of Third-Party Apparel Sourcing Business	0
Proceeds from Sales of Express Common Stock	0	0
Net Proceeds from the Divestiture of Joint Venture		0	0
Net Investments in Consolidated Affiliates	36	(29)	29
Other Investing Activities	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities	36	(29)	29
Financing Activities
Proceeds from Long-term Debt, Net of Issuance and Discount Costs	0	0	0
Payments of Long-term Debt		0	0
Financing Costs	0	0	0
Repurchase of Common Stock	0	0
Dividends Paid	0	0	0
Excess Tax Benefits from Share-based Compensation	0	0
Net Financing Activities and Advances to/from Consolidated Affiliates	(36)	29	(29)
Proceeds From Exercise of Stock Options and Other	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities	(36)	29	(29)
Effects of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	0	0	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Year	0	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Year	0	0	0
Eliminations | Express [Member]
Investing Activities
Return of Capital		0
Eliminations | Limited Stores [Member]
Investing Activities
Return of Capital		$ 0