Supplemental Guarantor Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Income) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended															12 Months Ended
	Jan. 28, 2012		Oct. 29, 2011		Jul. 30, 2011		Apr. 30, 2011		Jan. 29, 2011		Oct. 30, 2010	Jul. 31, 2010		May 01, 2010		Jan. 28, 2012		Jan. 29, 2011	Jan. 30, 2010
Net Sales	$ 3,515	[1]	$ 2,174	[2]	$ 2,458	[3]	$ 2,217	[4]	$ 3,456	[5]	$ 1,983	$ 2,242	[6]	$ 1,932	[7]	$ 10,364		$ 9,613	$ 8,632
Costs of Goods Sold, Buying and Occupancy																(6,307)		(5,982)	(5,604)
Gross Profit	1,528	[1]	785	[2]	902	[3]	842	[4]	1,445	[5]	714	778	[6]	694	[7]	4,057		3,631	3,028
General, Administrative and Store Operating Expenses																(2,698)		(2,341)	(2,166)
Impairment of Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	(232)															(232)		(6)	(3)
Gain on Divestiture of Third-Party Apparel Sourcing Business																111
Net Gain on Joint Venture																0		0	9
Operating Income (Loss)	641	[1]	186	[2]	194	[3]	217	[4]	714	[5]	149	236	[6]	185	[7]	1,238	[8]	1,284	868	[8]
Interest Expense																(246)		(208)	(237)
Other Income (Loss)																235		175	19
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes																1,227		1,251	650
Provision (Benefit) for Income Taxes																377		446	202
Equity in Earnings, Net of Tax																0		0	0
Net Income (Loss)																850		805	448
Reclassification of Cash Flow Hedges to Earnings																3		41	71
Foreign Currency Translation																(1)		(1)	(2)
Unrealized Loss on Cash Flow Hedges																(3)		(24)	(56)
Total Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax																(1)		16	13
Total Comprehensive Income																849		821	461
Limited Brands, Inc. [Member]
Net Sales																0		0	0
Costs of Goods Sold, Buying and Occupancy																0		0	0
Gross Profit																0		0	0
General, Administrative and Store Operating Expenses																(5)		(4)	(2)
Impairment of Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets																0		0	0
Gain on Divestiture of Third-Party Apparel Sourcing Business																0
Net Gain on Joint Venture																			9
Operating Income (Loss)																(5)		(4)	7
Interest Expense																(245)		(207)	(234)
Other Income (Loss)																251		(26)	0
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes																1		(237)	(227)
Provision (Benefit) for Income Taxes																2		1	0
Equity in Earnings, Net of Tax																851		1,043	675
Net Income (Loss)																850		805	448
Reclassification of Cash Flow Hedges to Earnings																3		10	14
Foreign Currency Translation																0		0	0
Unrealized Loss on Cash Flow Hedges																0		(1)	4
Total Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax																3		9	18
Total Comprehensive Income																853		814	466
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net Sales																9,570		9,005	8,205
Costs of Goods Sold, Buying and Occupancy																(5,943)		(5,655)	(5,445)
Gross Profit																3,627		3,350	2,760
General, Administrative and Store Operating Expenses																(2,297)		(2,212)	(2,043)
Impairment of Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets																0		(6)	0
Gain on Divestiture of Third-Party Apparel Sourcing Business																6
Net Gain on Joint Venture																			0
Operating Income (Loss)																1,336		1,132	717
Interest Expense																(25)		0	0
Other Income (Loss)																(247)		15	12
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes																1,064		1,147	729
Provision (Benefit) for Income Taxes																324		338	221
Equity in Earnings, Net of Tax																356		862	612
Net Income (Loss)																1,096		1,671	1,120
Reclassification of Cash Flow Hedges to Earnings																0		0	0
Foreign Currency Translation																0		0	0
Unrealized Loss on Cash Flow Hedges																0		0	0
Total Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax																0		0	0
Total Comprehensive Income																1,096		1,671	1,120
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net Sales																3,334		2,587	2,314
Costs of Goods Sold, Buying and Occupancy																(2,782)		(2,161)	(1,907)
Gross Profit																552		426	407
General, Administrative and Store Operating Expenses																(517)		(286)	(262)
Impairment of Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets																(232)		0	(3)
Gain on Divestiture of Third-Party Apparel Sourcing Business																105
Net Gain on Joint Venture																			0
Operating Income (Loss)																(92)		140	142
Interest Expense																(12)		(13)	(13)
Other Income (Loss)																244		196	16
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes																140		323	145
Provision (Benefit) for Income Taxes																51		107	(19)
Equity in Earnings, Net of Tax																207		313	221
Net Income (Loss)																296		529	385
Reclassification of Cash Flow Hedges to Earnings																0		31	57
Foreign Currency Translation																(1)		(1)	(2)
Unrealized Loss on Cash Flow Hedges																(3)		(23)	(60)
Total Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax																(4)		7	(5)
Total Comprehensive Income																292		536	380
Eliminations
Net Sales																(2,540)		(1,979)	(1,887)
Costs of Goods Sold, Buying and Occupancy																2,418		1,834	1,748
Gross Profit																(122)		(145)	(139)
General, Administrative and Store Operating Expenses																121		161	141
Impairment of Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets																0		0	0
Gain on Divestiture of Third-Party Apparel Sourcing Business																0
Net Gain on Joint Venture																			0
Operating Income (Loss)																(1)		16	2
Interest Expense																36		12	10
Other Income (Loss)																(13)		(10)	(9)
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes																22		18	3
Provision (Benefit) for Income Taxes																0		0	0
Equity in Earnings, Net of Tax																(1,414)		(2,218)	(1,508)
Net Income (Loss)																(1,392)		(2,200)	(1,505)
Reclassification of Cash Flow Hedges to Earnings																0		0	0
Foreign Currency Translation																0		0	0
Unrealized Loss on Cash Flow Hedges																0		0	0
Total Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax																0		0	0
Total Comprehensive Income																$ (1,392)		$ (2,200)	$ (1,505)

[1] Includes the effect of the following items:(i)A pre-tax charge of $232 million related to the impairment of La Senza goodwill and other intangible assets;(ii)A pre-tax gain of $111 million related to the sale of 51% of the third-party apparel sourcing business;(iii)A pre-tax expense of $24 million relating to restructuring expenses at La Senza; and(iv)A tax benefit of $28 million related to certain discrete income tax matters.

[2] Includes the effect of a tax benefit of $17 million related to the favorable resolution of certain discrete income tax matters.

[3] Includes the effect of a non-taxable gain of $147 million and pre-tax expense of $113 million associated with the charitable contribution of Express, Inc. common stock to The Limited Brands Foundation.

[4] Includes the effect of the following items:(i)A pre-tax gain of $86 million related to the sale of shares of Express, Inc. common stock;(ii)A pre-tax expense of $50 million related to a pledge to The Limited Brands Foundation; and(iii)A tax benefit of $11 million related to the favorable resolution of certain discrete income tax matters.

[5] Includes the effect of the following items:(i)A pre-tax gain of $45 million related to the sale of Express, Inc. common stock; and(ii)A pre-tax gain of $7 million related to a dividend payment from Express, Inc.

[6] Includes the effect of the following items:(i)A pre-tax gain of $52 million related to the initial public offering of Express, Inc. including the sale of a portion of the company’s shares;(ii)A pre-tax loss of $25 million associated with the early retirement of portions of the 2012 and 2014 notes; and(iii)A pre-tax gain of $20 million associated with the sale of the remaining 25% ownership interest in Limited Stores.

[7] Includes the effect of a pre-tax gain of $49 million related to a $57 million cash distribution from Express.

[8] Operating Loss for the Other segment includes the effect of the following items:(i)In 2011, a $232 million impairment charge related to goodwill and other intangible assets for our La Senza business; a $111 million gain related to the divestiture of 51% of our third-party apparel sourcing business; $163 million of expense related to the charitable contribution of our remaining shares of Express, Inc. to The Limited Brands Foundation; and $24 million of restructuring expenses at La Senza. (ii)In 2009, a $9 million pre-tax gain, $14 million net of related tax benefits, associated with the reversal of an accrued contractual liability as a result of the divestiture of a joint venture.