Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Impact from Adoption of New Lease Accounting Standards (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Nov. 02, 2019	Aug. 03, 2019	Feb. 03, 2019		Feb. 02, 2019	Nov. 03, 2018	Aug. 04, 2018	Feb. 03, 2018
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cash and equivalents		$ 410,775		$ 723,135	[1]	$ 723,135	$ 520,523		$ 675,558
Receivables		92,736		73,112	[1]	73,112
Inventories		590,883		437,879	[1]	437,879
Other current assets (2)		86,275		70,514	[1]	101,824
Total current assets		1,180,669		1,304,640	[1]	1,335,950
Property and equipment, net (3)		665,862		648,231	[1]	694,855
Operating lease right-of-use assets (2)		1,223,512		1,234,515	[1]	0
Other assets (2) (5)		415,962		370,341	[1]	354,788
Total assets		3,486,005		3,557,727	[1]	2,385,593
Accounts payable		269,578		226,878	[1]	226,878
Accrued expenses (2)		269,334		280,071	[1]	293,579
Short-term portion of operating lease liabilities (4)		284,694		280,108	[1]	0
Short-term portion of deferred lease credits (2)		13,728		0	[1]	19,558
Income taxes payable		0		18,902	[1]	18,902
Total current liabilities		837,334		805,959	[1]	558,917
Long-term portion of operating lease liabilities (4)		1,234,502		1,193,946	[1]	0
Long-term portion of borrowings, net		241,343		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)		178,460		163,927	[1]	235,145
Total long-term liabilities		1,654,305		1,608,312	[1]	608,055
Class A Common Stock		1,033		1,033	[1]	1,033
Paid-in capital		399,981		405,379	[1]	405,379
Retained earnings (6)		2,244,150		2,343,379	[1]	2,418,544
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax		(108,245)	$ (105,946)	(102,452)	[1]	(102,452)	(98,668)	$ (94,892)	(95,054)
Treasury stock, at average cost		1,553,407		1,513,604	[1]	1,513,604
Total Abercrombie & Fitch Co. stockholders’ equity		983,512		1,133,735	[1]	1,208,900
Noncontrolling interests		10,854		9,721	[1]	9,721
Total stockholders' equity		994,366	$ 1,003,295	1,143,456	[1]	1,218,621	$ 1,134,290	$ 1,147,384	$ 1,252,471
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity		$ 3,486,005		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.