Rights Agreement	12 Months Ended
Jan. 28, 2012
Disclosure Text Block Supplement [Abstract]
Rights agreement Disclosure	RIGHTS AGREEMENT: We maintain a Rights Agreement in which preferred stock purchase rights (“Rights”) were distributed as a dividend at the rate of one Right for each share of outstanding Common Stock held as of the close of business on September 20, 2007. This Rights Agreement has an outside expiration date of September 20, 2017 and replaced a similar agreement which expired on September 19, 2007. The number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock will be proportionally adjusted in connection with any stock split or stock dividends issued by in accordance with the Rights Agreement. In addition, the Rights Agreement provides that at the time Rights certificates evidencing the Rights are to be issued, we will not be required to issue Rights certificates that evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, we will pay to the persons to which fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the fraction of the market value of a whole Right. Each Right will entitle stockholders to buy one 1/100^th of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of Jos. A. Bank at an exercise price of $200. The Rights will be exercisable only if a person or group acquires beneficial ownership of 20 percent or more of our outstanding Common Stock (without the approval of the board of directors) or commences a tender or exchange offer upon consummation of which a person or group would beneficially own 20 percent or more of our outstanding Common Stock. If any person becomes the beneficial owner of 20 percent or more of our outstanding common stock (without the approval of the board of directors), or if a holder of 20 percent or more of our Common Stock engaged in certain self-dealing transactions or a merger transaction in which the Company is the surviving corporation and its Common Stock remains outstanding, then each Right not owned by such person or certain related parties will entitle its holder to purchase, at the Right's then-current exercise price, units of the Company's Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (or, in certain circumstances, Common Stock, cash, property or other securities of the Company) having a market value equal to twice the then-current exercise price of the Rights. In addition, if we are involved in a merger or other business combination transaction with another person after which our Common Stock does not remain outstanding, or sell 50 percent or more of our assets or earning power to another person, each Right will entitle its holder to purchase, at the Right's then-current exercise price, shares of common stock of such other person having a market value equal to twice the then-current exercise price of the Rights. We will generally be entitled to redeem the Rights at $0.01 per Right at any time prior to the earlier of (i) such time that a person has become an Acquiring Person or (ii) the Final Expiration Date (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement).

RIGHTS AGREEMENT:

We maintain a Rights Agreement in which preferred stock purchase rights (“Rights”) were distributed as a dividend at the rate of one Right for each share of outstanding Common Stock held as of the close of business on September 20, 2007. This Rights Agreement has an outside expiration date of September 20, 2017 and replaced a similar agreement which expired on September 19, 2007. The number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock will be proportionally adjusted in connection with any stock split or stock dividends issued by in accordance with the Rights Agreement. In addition, the Rights Agreement provides that at the time Rights certificates evidencing the Rights are to be issued, we will not be required to issue Rights certificates that evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, we will pay to the persons to which fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the fraction of the market value of a whole Right.

Each Right will entitle stockholders to buy one 1/100^th of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of Jos. A. Bank at an exercise price of $200. The Rights will be exercisable only if a person or group acquires beneficial ownership of 20 percent or more of our outstanding Common Stock (without the approval of the board of directors) or commences a tender or exchange offer upon consummation of which a person or group would beneficially own 20 percent or more of our outstanding Common Stock.

If any person becomes the beneficial owner of 20 percent or more of our outstanding common stock (without the approval of the board of directors), or if a holder of 20 percent or more of our Common Stock engaged in certain self-dealing transactions or a merger transaction in which the Company is the surviving corporation and its Common Stock remains outstanding, then each Right not owned by such person or certain related parties will entitle its holder to purchase, at the Right's then-current exercise price, units of the Company's Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (or, in certain circumstances, Common Stock, cash, property or other securities of the Company) having a market value equal to twice the then-current exercise price of the Rights. In addition, if we are involved in a merger or other business combination transaction with another person after which our Common Stock does not remain outstanding, or sell 50 percent or more of our assets or earning power to another person, each Right will entitle its holder to purchase, at the Right's then-current exercise price, shares of common stock of such other person having a market value equal to twice the then-current exercise price of the Rights. We will generally be entitled to redeem the Rights at $0.01 per Right at any time prior to the earlier of (i) such time that a person has become an Acquiring Person or (ii) the Final Expiration Date (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement).