Long-term debt	12 Months Ended
Jan. 28, 2012
Long-term debt [Abstract]
LONG-TERM DEBT	15. LONG-TERM DEBT On July 28, 2011, the Company entered into an unsecured Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Amended and Restated Credit Agreement”) under which up to $350 million is available. This Amended and Restated Credit Agreement serves to amend and restate in its entirety the syndicated unsecured credit agreement dated April 15, 2008 as previously amended (the “Prior Credit Agreement”). The primary reasons for entering into the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement were to extend the termination date from April 12, 2013 to July 27, 2016 and to reduce fees and interest rates. As stated in the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, the primary purposes of the agreement are for trade and stand-by letters of credit in the ordinary course of business, as well as to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and investments, and other general corporate purposes. The Amended and Restated Credit Agreement has several borrowing options, including interest rates that are based on: (i) a defined Base Rate, plus a margin based on the Leverage Ratio, payable quarterly; (ii) an Adjusted Eurodollar Rate (as defined in the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement) plus a margin based on the Leverage Ratio, payable at the end of the applicable interest period for the borrowing and, for interest periods in excess of three months, on the date that is three months after the commencement of the interest period; or (iii) an Adjusted Foreign Currency Rate (as defined in the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement) plus a margin based on the Leverage Ratio, payable at the end of the applicable interest period for the borrowing and, for interest periods in excess of three months, on the date that is three months after the commencement of the interest period. The Base Rate represents a rate per annum equal to the highest of (a) PNC Bank, National Association's then publicly announced prime rate, (b) the Federal Funds Effective Rate (as defined in the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement) as then in effect plus ½ of 1.0% or (c) the Daily Adjusted Eurodollar Rate (as defined in the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement) as then in effect plus 1.0%. The facility fees payable under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement are based on the Company's Leverage Ratio (i.e., the ratio, on a consolidated basis, of (a) the sum of total debt (excluding specified permitted foreign bank guarantees and trade letters of credit) plus 600% of forward minimum rent commitments to (b) consolidated earnings, as adjusted, before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and rent (“Consolidated EBITDAR”) for the trailing four-consecutive-fiscal-quarter periods. The facility fees accrue at a rate of 0.125% to 0.30% per annum based on the Leverage Ratio for the most recent determination date. The Amended and Restated Credit Agreement requires that the Leverage Ratio not be greater than 3.75 to 1.00 at the end of each testing period. The Amended and Restated Credit Agreement also requires that the “Coverage Ratio” for A&F and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis of (i) Consolidated EBITDAR for the trailing four-consecutive-fiscal-quarter period to (ii) the sum of, without duplication, (x) net interest expense for such period, (y) scheduled payments of long-term debt due within twelve months of the date of determination and (z) the sum of minimum rent and contingent store rent, not be less than 2.00 to 1.00. The Company was in compliance with the applicable ratio requirements and other covenants at January 28, 2012. Interest rates on borrowings under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement are generally based upon market rates plus a margin based on the applicable Leverage Ratio. The terms of the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement include customary events of default such as payment defaults, cross-defaults to other material indebtedness, undischarged material judgments, bankruptcy and insolvency, the occurrence of a defined change in control, or the failure to observe the negative covenants and other covenants related to the operation and conduct of the business of A&F and its subsidiaries. Upon an event of default, the lenders will not be obligated to make loans or other extensions of credit and may, among other things, terminate their commitments to the Company, and declare any then outstanding loans due and payable immediately. The Amended and Restated Credit Agreement will mature on July 27, 2016. The Company had no trade letters of credit outstanding at January 28, 2012 and January 29, 2011. Stand-by letters of credit outstanding, under either the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement or Prior Credit Agreement as applicable, on January 28, 2012 and January 29, 2011 were immaterial. As of January 28, 2012, the Company did not have any borrowings under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement and had $43.8 million outstanding under the Prior Credit Agreement as of January 29, 2011. The amounts outstanding under the Prior Credit Agreement were denominated in Japanese Yen and were fully repaid during the fifty-two weeks ended January 28, 2012. As of January 28, 2012 and January 29, 2011, the Company also had $57.9 million and $24.8 million, respectively, of long-term debt related to the landlord financing obligation for certain leases where the Company is deemed the owner of the construction project for accounting purposes, as substantially all of the risk of ownership during construction of a leased property is held by the Company. The landlord financing obligation is amortized over the life of the related lease. As of January 28, 2012, the carrying value of the Company's long-term debt approximated fair value. Total interest expense was $7.9 million and $7.8 million for the fifty-two weeks ended January 28, 2012 and January 29, 2011, respectively. The average interest rate for the long-term debt that had been previously outstanding under the Prior Credit Agreement was 2.4% for the fifty-two weeks ended January 28, 2012.

Long-term debt

12 Months Ended

Jan. 28, 2012

15. LONG-TERM DEBT

On July 28, 2011, the Company entered into an unsecured Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Amended and Restated Credit Agreement”) under which up to $350 million is available. This Amended and Restated Credit Agreement serves to amend and restate in its entirety the syndicated unsecured credit agreement dated April 15, 2008 as previously amended (the “Prior Credit Agreement”). The primary reasons for entering into the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement were to extend the termination date from April 12, 2013 to July 27, 2016 and to reduce fees and interest rates. As stated in the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, the primary purposes of the agreement are for trade and stand-by letters of credit in the ordinary course of business, as well as to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and investments, and other general corporate purposes.

The Amended and Restated Credit Agreement has several borrowing options, including interest rates that are based on: (i) a defined Base Rate, plus a margin based on the Leverage Ratio, payable quarterly; (ii) an Adjusted Eurodollar Rate (as defined in the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement) plus a margin based on the Leverage Ratio, payable at the end of the applicable interest period for the borrowing and, for interest periods in excess of three months, on the date that is three months after the commencement of the interest period; or (iii) an Adjusted Foreign Currency Rate (as defined in the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement) plus a margin based on the Leverage Ratio, payable at the end of the applicable interest period for the borrowing and, for interest periods in excess of three months, on the date that is three months after the commencement of the interest period. The Base Rate represents a rate per annum equal to the highest of (a) PNC Bank, National Association's then publicly announced prime rate, (b) the Federal Funds Effective Rate (as defined in the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement) as then in effect plus ½ of 1.0% or (c) the Daily Adjusted Eurodollar Rate (as defined in the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement) as then in effect plus 1.0%.

The facility fees payable under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement are based on the Company's Leverage Ratio (i.e., the ratio, on a consolidated basis, of (a) the sum of total debt (excluding specified permitted foreign bank guarantees and trade letters of credit) plus 600% of forward minimum rent commitments to (b) consolidated earnings, as adjusted, before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and rent (“Consolidated EBITDAR”) for the trailing four-consecutive-fiscal-quarter periods. The facility fees accrue at a rate of 0.125% to 0.30% per annum based on the Leverage Ratio for the most recent determination date. The Amended and Restated Credit Agreement requires that the Leverage Ratio not be greater than 3.75 to 1.00 at the end of each testing period. The Amended and Restated Credit Agreement also requires that the “Coverage Ratio” for A&F and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis of (i) Consolidated EBITDAR for the trailing four-consecutive-fiscal-quarter period to (ii) the sum of, without duplication, (x) net interest expense for such period, (y) scheduled payments of long-term debt due within twelve months of the date of determination and (z) the sum of minimum rent and contingent store rent, not be less than 2.00 to 1.00. The Company was in compliance with the applicable ratio requirements and other covenants at January 28, 2012. Interest rates on borrowings under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement are generally based upon market rates plus a margin based on the applicable Leverage Ratio.

The terms of the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement include customary events of default such as payment defaults, cross-defaults to other material indebtedness, undischarged material judgments, bankruptcy and insolvency, the occurrence of a defined change in control, or the failure to observe the negative covenants and other covenants related to the operation and conduct of the business of A&F and its subsidiaries. Upon an event of default, the lenders will not be obligated to make loans or other extensions of credit and may, among other things, terminate their commitments to the Company, and declare any then outstanding loans due and payable immediately.

The Amended and Restated Credit Agreement will mature on July 27, 2016. The Company had no trade letters of credit outstanding at January 28, 2012 and January 29, 2011. Stand-by letters of credit outstanding, under either the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement or Prior Credit Agreement as applicable, on January 28, 2012 and January 29, 2011 were immaterial.

As of January 28, 2012, the Company did not have any borrowings under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement and had $43.8 million outstanding under the Prior Credit Agreement as of January 29, 2011. The amounts outstanding under the Prior Credit Agreement were denominated in Japanese Yen and were fully repaid during the fifty-two weeks ended January 28, 2012.

As of January 28, 2012 and January 29, 2011, the Company also had $57.9 million and $24.8 million, respectively, of long-term debt related to the landlord financing obligation for certain leases where the Company is deemed the owner of the construction project for accounting purposes, as substantially all of the risk of ownership during construction of a leased property is held by the Company. The landlord financing obligation is amortized over the life of the related lease.

As of January 28, 2012, the carrying value of the Company's long-term debt approximated fair value. Total interest expense was $7.9 million and $7.8 million for the fifty-two weeks ended January 28, 2012 and January 29, 2011, respectively. The average interest rate for the long-term debt that had been previously outstanding under the Prior Credit Agreement was 2.4% for the fifty-two weeks ended January 28, 2012.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for information about short-term and long-term debt arrangements, which includes amounts of borrowings under each line of credit, note payable, commercial paper issue, bonds indenture, debenture issue, own-share lending arrangements and any other contractual agreement to repay funds, and about the underlying arrangements, rationale for a classification as long-term, including repayment terms, interest rates, collateral provided, restrictions on use of assets and activities, whether or not in compliance with debt covenants, and other matters important to users of the financial statements, such as the effects of refinancing and noncompliance with debt covenants.

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