Equity (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Feb. 02, 2013	Jan. 28, 2012	Jan. 29, 2011	Jan. 30, 2010
Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Expiration date of rights	Mar. 01, 2020
Redeemable price per right (USD per share)	$ 0.01
Number of common stock	1
Common stock, par value (USD per share)	$ 1	$ 1
Common stock, shares authorized	80,000,000	80,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	24,484,915	24,757,826
Shares held in treasury	488,464	488,464
Number of Vote for each outstanding Share	1
Common shares reserved	313,438
Common stock issued for exercise of stock options	223,618	390,357	118,450
Weighted average exercise price of common stock	$ 21.50	$ 24.82	$ 18.77
Weighted average market price of common stock issued under stock option (USD per share)	$ 63.84	$ 48.95	$ 28.39
Weighted average price of common stock retired and repurchase (USD per share)	$ 58.29		$ 28.74
Exercise of stock options	$ 4,808,000	$ 9,687,000	$ 2,223,000
Issue shares - Employee Stock Purchase Plan	157,000	133,000	120,000
Number of common stock issued to directors for no consideration	10,224	14,643	17,838
Common stock withheld for taxes on restricted stock vested	75,552	93,089	81,731
Numerator Pro-forma fixed charge coverage ratio	1.0
Denominator Pro-forma fixed charge coverage ratio	1.0
Aggregate dividend declared for fiscal year 2011	100,000
Subordinated Serial Preferred Stock $2.30 Series 1 [Member]
Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Preferred stock, dividend rate	$ 2.30
Preferred stock stated and redemption values over accumulated dividends	$ 40
Preferred stock liquidation values over accumulated dividends	$ 40
Common stock issued in conversion of debentures	22,028	5,238	1,501
Subordinated Serial Preferred Stock $4.75 Series 3 [Member]
Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Preferred stock, dividend rate	$ 4.75
Preferred stock stated and redemption values over accumulated dividends	$ 100
Preferred stock liquidation values over accumulated dividends	$ 100
Subordinated Serial Preferred Stock $4.75 Series 4 [Member]
Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Preferred stock, dividend rate	$ 4.75
Non-Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member]
Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Tender offer for outstanding common stock	15.00%
Shares held in treasury	0
Common stock issued for exercise of stock options	0	0	0
Issue shares - Employee Stock Purchase Plan	0	0	0
$1.50 Subordinated Cumulative Preferred Stock [Member]
Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Preferred stock, dividend rate	$ 1.50
Preferred stock stated and redemption values over accumulated dividends	$ 1.50
Multiplication value to Quarterly dividend per share of common stock for calculation of Stated and liquidation values and redemption price	8800.00%
Stated and liquidation values and redemption price per share dividend paid on common stock plus accumulated dividends	$ 30
Employees Subordinated Convertible Preferred Stock [Member]
Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Multiplication value to Quarterly dividend per share of common stock for calculation of Stated and liquidation values and redemption price	8800.00%
Stated and liquidation values and redemption price per share dividend paid on common stock plus accumulated dividends	$ 30
Common Stock [Member]
Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Common stock, shares issued	24,484,915	24,757,826	24,162,634	24,562,693
Shares held in treasury	488,464
Common stock issued for exercise of stock options	223,618	390,357	118,450
Exercise of stock options	4,800,000	9,700,000	2,200,000
Issue shares - Employee Stock Purchase Plan	2,463	2,717	4,230
Restricted stock forfeited during the year	4,020	14,081	1,575
Common stock shares repurchased and retired	645,904		863,767
Common stock value repurchased and retired	$ 37,600,000		$ 24,800,000
Conversion Of Preferred Stock [Member]
Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Common shares reserved	80,848
Maximum [Member]
Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Percentage loan cap	50.00%
Minimum [Member]
Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Percentage loan cap	20.00%
Minimum percentage loan cap	50.00%
1996 Stock Incentive Plan [Member]
Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Common shares reserved	186,835
2005 Stock Incentive Plan [Member]
Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Common shares reserved	76,320
2009 Stock Incentive Plan [Member]
Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Common shares reserved	1,585,443
2009 Equity Incentive Plan [Member]
Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Common stock issued as restricted shares	194,232	289,407	404,995