Senior Revolving Credit Facility, Secured Convertible Notes, Convertible Preferred Stock, and Common Stock Warrants	12 Months Ended
Feb. 02, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Senior Revolving Credit Facility, Secured Convertible Notes, Convertible Preferred Stock, and Common Stock Warrants	Senior Revolving Credit Facility, Secured Convertible Notes, Convertible Preferred Stock, and Common Stock Warrants Senior Revolving Credit Facility On February 3, 2011, the Company renewed, via amendment and restatement, its $35.0 million senior revolving credit facility with its existing lender (the “Facility”), which can be increased up to $50.0 million in the absence of any default and upon the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent specified in the Facility. The Facility expires in February 2016. Under the Facility, the Company is subject to borrowing base limitations on the amount that can be borrowed and certain customary covenants, including, under certain circumstances, covenants limiting the ability to incur additional indebtedness, make investments and acquisitions, grant liens, pay dividends, repurchase its Class A common stock, close stores, and dispose of assets, without the lender’s consent. The ability of the Company to borrow and request the issuance of letters of credit is subject to the requirement that the Company maintain an excess of the borrowing base over the outstanding credit extensions of the greater of 10% of the aggregate amount of the Facility or $4.0 million. The annual interest rate on the revolving line of credit under the Facility is (i) the higher of the lender’s prime rate, the Federal funds rate plus 0.5% or the one month London InterBank Offered Rate (LIBOR) plus 1.0%, collectively referred to as the “Base Rate”, plus the applicable margin ranging from 0.5% to 1.0% or, (ii) if the Company elects, either the one, two, three or six months LIBOR plus a margin ranging from 1.5% to 2.0%. The applicable Base Rate or LIBOR margin is based on the level of average excess availability, as defined under the Facility, at the time of election, as adjusted quarterly. The Company also incurs fees on outstanding letters of credit under the Facility at an annual rate equal to the applicable LIBOR margin for standby letters of credit and 23.0% of the applicable LIBOR margin for commercial letters of credit. Additionally, the Company is subject to commitment fees at an annual rate of 0.25% on the unused portion of the line of credit under the Facility. Borrowings under the Facility are secured by cash, cash equivalents, investments, receivables and inventory held by the Company and two of its wholly owned subsidiaries, The Wet Seal Retail, Inc. and Wet Seal Catalog, Inc., each of which may be a borrower under the Facility. At February 2, 2013, the amount outstanding under the Facility consisted of $3.7 million in open documentary letters of credit related to merchandise purchases and $1.5 million in outstanding standby letters of credit, and the Company had $29.8 million available under the Facility for cash advances and/or the issuance of additional letters of credit. At February 2, 2013, the Company was in compliance with all covenant requirements related to the Facility. Secured Convertible Notes and Common Stock Warrants During fiscal 2010, investors in the Notes converted the remaining $4.7 million of the Notes into 3,111,111 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock. As a result of these conversions, the Company recorded non-cash interest charges of $2.1 million during fiscal 2010, to write-off a ratable portion of unamortized debt discount and deferred financing costs associated with the Notes. Additionally, a ratable portion of accrued interest of $1.0 million was forfeited by the holder when the Notes were converted and it was written off to paid-in capital. Finally, the Company provided the holder with a $0.7 million conversion inducement, which was recorded as an interest charge during fiscal 2010. Also included in interest expense in fiscal 2010 was a credit for the decrease of less than $0.1 million in the fair value of the Notes embedded derivative. The Company also repurchased an insignificant remaining Note balance from another holder. As a result of these transactions, there are no longer any Notes outstanding as of February 2, 2013, and there was a satisfaction and discharge of the Company’s obligations under the Indenture governing the Notes. The resulting discount to the Notes was amortized under the interest method over the seven-year life of the Notes and charged to interest expense. The Notes had a yield to maturity of 27.1%. For fiscal 2010, the Company recognized $0.1 million in interest expense, not including accelerated charges upon conversions, related to the discount amortization. The Company included the shares issuable upon conversion of the Notes in its calculations of basic and diluted earnings per share to the extent such inclusion would be dilutive. During fiscal 2010, the Notes were not dilutive and were not included in the earnings per share calculation. Convertible Preferred Stock and Common Stock Warrants During fiscal 2010, investors in the Company’s Preferred Stock converted $1.6 million of Preferred Stock into 537,000 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock. As a result of the fiscal 2010 conversion, there is no longer any Preferred Stock outstanding as of February 2, 2013. Exercise of Common Stock Warrants In fiscal 2010, investors in the Notes exercised portions of outstanding warrants, resulting in the issuance of 1,160,715 of Class A common stock, in exchange for $4.3 million of proceeds to the Company. In fiscal 2010, Series E warrants exercisable into 4,931,401 shares of Class A common stock expired unredeemed. As a result of the exercises and expirations, there are no longer any warrants outstanding as of February 2, 2013.

Senior Revolving Credit Facility, Secured Convertible Notes, Convertible Preferred Stock, and Common Stock Warrants

Senior Revolving Credit Facility

On February 3, 2011, the Company renewed, via amendment and restatement, its $35.0 million senior revolving credit facility with its existing lender (the “Facility”), which can be increased up to $50.0 million in the absence of any default and upon the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent specified in the Facility. The Facility expires in February 2016. Under the Facility, the Company is subject to borrowing base limitations on the amount that can be borrowed and certain customary covenants, including, under certain circumstances, covenants limiting the ability to incur additional indebtedness, make investments and acquisitions, grant liens, pay dividends, repurchase its Class A common stock, close stores, and dispose of assets, without the lender’s consent. The ability of the Company to borrow and request the issuance of letters of credit is subject to the requirement that the Company maintain an excess of the borrowing base over the outstanding credit extensions of the greater of 10% of the aggregate amount of the Facility or $4.0 million. The annual interest rate on the revolving line of credit under the Facility is (i) the higher of the lender’s prime rate, the Federal funds rate plus 0.5% or the one month London InterBank Offered Rate (LIBOR) plus 1.0%, collectively referred to as the “Base Rate”, plus the applicable margin ranging from 0.5% to 1.0% or, (ii) if the Company elects, either the one, two, three or six months LIBOR plus a margin ranging from 1.5% to 2.0%. The applicable Base Rate or LIBOR margin is based on the level of average excess availability, as defined under the Facility, at the time of election, as adjusted quarterly. The Company also incurs fees on outstanding letters of credit under the Facility at an annual rate equal to the applicable LIBOR margin for standby letters of credit and 23.0% of the applicable LIBOR margin for commercial letters of credit. Additionally, the Company is subject to commitment fees at an annual rate of 0.25% on the unused portion of the line of credit under the Facility.

Borrowings under the Facility are secured by cash, cash equivalents, investments, receivables and inventory held by the Company and two of its wholly owned subsidiaries, The Wet Seal Retail, Inc. and Wet Seal Catalog, Inc., each of which may be a borrower under the Facility.

At February 2, 2013, the amount outstanding under the Facility consisted of $3.7 million in open documentary letters of credit related to merchandise purchases and $1.5 million in outstanding standby letters of credit, and the Company had $29.8 million available under the Facility for cash advances and/or the issuance of additional letters of credit.

At February 2, 2013, the Company was in compliance with all covenant requirements related to the Facility.

Secured Convertible Notes and Common Stock Warrants

During fiscal 2010, investors in the Notes converted the remaining $4.7 million of the Notes into 3,111,111 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock. As a result of these conversions, the Company recorded non-cash interest charges of $2.1 million during fiscal 2010, to write-off a ratable portion of unamortized debt discount and deferred financing costs associated with the Notes. Additionally, a ratable portion of accrued interest of $1.0 million was forfeited by the holder when the Notes were converted and it was written off to paid-in capital. Finally, the Company provided the holder with a $0.7 million conversion inducement, which was recorded as an interest charge during fiscal 2010. Also included in interest expense in fiscal 2010 was a credit for the decrease of less than $0.1 million in the fair value of the Notes embedded derivative. The Company also repurchased an insignificant remaining Note balance from another holder. As a result of these transactions, there are no longer any Notes outstanding as of February 2, 2013, and there was a satisfaction and discharge of the Company’s obligations under the Indenture governing the Notes.

The resulting discount to the Notes was amortized under the interest method over the seven-year life of the Notes and charged to interest expense. The Notes had a yield to maturity of 27.1%. For fiscal 2010, the Company recognized $0.1 million in interest expense, not including accelerated charges upon conversions, related to the discount amortization.

The Company included the shares issuable upon conversion of the Notes in its calculations of basic and diluted earnings per share to the extent such inclusion would be dilutive. During fiscal 2010, the Notes were not dilutive and were not included in the earnings per share calculation.

Convertible Preferred Stock and Common Stock Warrants

During fiscal 2010, investors in the Company’s Preferred Stock converted $1.6 million of Preferred Stock into 537,000 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock. As a result of the fiscal 2010 conversion, there is no longer any Preferred Stock outstanding as of February 2, 2013.

Exercise of Common Stock Warrants

In fiscal 2010, investors in the Notes exercised portions of outstanding warrants, resulting in the issuance of 1,160,715 of Class A common stock, in exchange for $4.3 million of proceeds to the Company. In fiscal 2010, Series E warrants exercisable into 4,931,401 shares of Class A common stock expired unredeemed. As a result of the exercises and expirations, there are no longer any warrants outstanding as of February 2, 2013.