Segment Reporting (Details Textual) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended									36 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Feb. 01, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012 boardmember	Feb. 02, 2013 agreement	Oct. 27, 2012	Feb. 02, 2013 segment agreement	Jan. 28, 2012	Jan. 29, 2011	Feb. 02, 2013 Wet Seal [Member]	Jan. 28, 2012 Wet Seal [Member]	Jan. 29, 2011 Wet Seal [Member]	Feb. 02, 2013 Arden B [Member] store	Jan. 28, 2012 Arden B [Member] store	Jan. 29, 2011 Arden B [Member] store	Feb. 02, 2013 Arden B [Member] store	Feb. 01, 2013 Corporate [Member]	Oct. 31, 2012 Corporate [Member] boardmember	Feb. 02, 2013 Corporate [Member] agreement	Jan. 29, 2011 Corporate [Member]	Jan. 29, 2011 Interest Expense [Member]	Jan. 29, 2011 Interest Expense [Member] Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of operating segments					2
Operating (loss) income of asset impairment charges								$ 24,000,000	$ 2,600,000	$ 3,600,000	$ 3,000,000	$ 1,900,000	$ 600,000
Number of stores closed											24	1	6	31
Disposal group, revenue											17,600,000	21,700,000	25,600,000
Disposal group, operating income (loss)											(1,900,000)	(400,000)	800,000
Litigation expense			6,600,000	500,000													7,100,000
Severance costs	300,000														300,000		3,000,000
Corporate expense for early termination of investment banker retention agreements			500,000														500,000
Professional fees			300,000	2,100,000													1,900,000
Number of investment banker retention agreements			2		2												2
Number of board members replaced		4														4
Number of board members		7														7
Debt conversion, write-off of unamortized debt discount and deferred financing costs					0	0	2,083,000												2,083,000	2,100,000
Debt converstion, converstion inducement					0	0	700,000											700,000
Transition and recruiting expense																		$ 1,600,000