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Retirement Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Plan - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2015
Feb. 01, 2014
Feb. 02, 2013
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Employee contribution percentage 3.00%aeo_DefinedContributionPlanEmployeeContributionsPercentageOfEligibleCompensation    
Years of age attained 20 years 6 months    
Compensation expense $ 10,500,000us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualCompensationExpense $ 9,600,000us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualCompensationExpense $ 15,800,000us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualCompensationExpense
First 3 Percent of Each Participant's Contributions      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Matching contribution to defined contribution plan 100.00%us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionPercentOfMatch
/ aeo_DefinedContributionPlansDisclosureAxis
= aeo_FirstThreePercentOfEachParticipantsContributionsMember
   
Next 3 Percent of Each Participant's Contributions      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Matching contribution to defined contribution plan 50.00%us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionPercentOfMatch
/ aeo_DefinedContributionPlansDisclosureAxis
= aeo_SecondThreePercentOfEachParticipantsContributionsMember
   
Full-time employees      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Periods of service to be eligible 60 days    
Part-time employees      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Periods of service to be eligible 1000 hours    
Defined Contribution Pension Plan 401k | Maximum      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Employee contribution percentage 50.00%aeo_DefinedContributionPlanEmployeeContributionsPercentageOfEligibleCompensation
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= aeo_DefinedContributionPensionPlanFourZeroOneKMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
   
Employee Stock Purchase Plan      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Periods of service to be eligible 60 days    
Employee Stock Purchase Plan | Maximum      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Matching investment per pay period $ 100aeo_DefinedBenefitContributionPlanContributionsByEmployer
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= aeo_EmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
   
Employee Stock Purchase Plan | Minimum      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Qualifying age 18 years    
Matching percent of investment 15.00%aeo_CompanyMatchOnQualifiedEmployeeStockPurchases
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= aeo_EmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
   
Revised Retirement Plan effective January 1, 2015 | First 3 Percent of Each Participant's Contributions      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Matching contribution to defined contribution plan 100.00%us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionPercentOfMatch
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= aeo_RevisedCompensationPlanMember
/ aeo_DefinedContributionPlansDisclosureAxis
= aeo_FirstThreePercentOfEachParticipantsContributionsMember
   
Revised Retirement Plan effective January 1, 2015 | Next 3 Percent of Each Participant's Contributions      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Matching contribution to defined contribution plan 25.00%us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionPercentOfMatch
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualPostretirementBenefitsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= aeo_RevisedCompensationPlanMember
/ aeo_DefinedContributionPlansDisclosureAxis
= aeo_SecondThreePercentOfEachParticipantsContributionsMember