Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) 10-Q 5 Sep 17 2017 Q2 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - shares	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017	Aug. 31, 2017
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO /DE/
Entity Central Index Key	1,018,840
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--02-03
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Jul. 29, 2017
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,017
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		68,087,087

Condensed Consolidated Statemen

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss (Unaudited) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016	Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016
Net sales	$ 779,321	$ 783,160	$ 1,440,420	$ 1,468,643
Cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization	318,426	306,053	580,600	565,815
Gross profit	460,895	477,107	859,820	902,828
Stores and distribution expense	369,295	382,917	729,224	752,035
Marketing, general and administrative expense	109,353	111,719	219,246	226,166
Asset impairment	6,135	6,356	6,865	6,356
Other operating income, net	(2,799)	(13,080)	(4,485)	(16,013)
Operating loss	(21,089)	(10,805)	(91,030)	(65,716)
Interest expense, net	4,089	4,741	8,209	9,247
Loss before taxes	(25,178)	(15,546)	(99,239)	(74,963)
Income tax benefit	(10,563)	(3,515)	(23,615)	(24,302)
Net loss	(14,615)	(12,031)	(75,624)	(50,661)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	876	1,098	1,567	2,055
Net loss attributable to A&F	$ (15,491)	$ (13,129)	$ (77,191)	$ (52,716)
Net loss per share attributable to A&F
Basic	$ (0.23)	$ (0.19)	$ (1.13)	$ (0.78)
Diluted	$ (0.23)	$ (0.19)	$ (1.13)	$ (0.78)
Weighted-average shares outstanding
Basic	68,456	67,944	68,264	67,785
Diluted	68,456	67,944	68,264	67,785
Dividends declared per share	$ 0.20	$ 0.20	$ 0.40	$ 0.40
Other comprehensive income (loss)
Foreign currency translation, net of tax	$ 19,072	$ (7,361)	$ 24,679	$ 13,064
Derivative financial instruments, net of tax	(10,148)	6,575	(14,748)	(3,380)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	8,924	(786)	9,931	9,684
Comprehensive loss	(5,691)	(12,817)	(65,693)	(40,977)
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	876	1,098	1,567	2,055
Comprehensive loss attributable to A&F	$ (6,567)	$ (13,915)	$ (67,260)	$ (43,032)

Condensed Consolidated Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jul. 29, 2017	Jan. 28, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and equivalents	$ 421,903	$ 547,189
Receivables	110,590	93,384
Inventories, net	471,037	399,795
Other current assets	72,215	98,932
Total current assets	1,075,745	1,139,300
Property and equipment, net	793,374	824,738
Other assets	358,794	331,719
Total assets	2,227,913	2,295,757
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	208,432	187,017
Accrued expenses	267,745	273,044
Short-term portion of deferred lease credits	19,723	20,076
Income taxes payable	2,880	5,863
Total current liabilities	498,780	486,000
Long-term liabilities:
Long-term portion of deferred lease credits	78,063	76,321
Long-term portion of borrowings, net	263,714	262,992
Leasehold financing obligations	49,186	46,397
Other liabilities	171,852	172,008
Total long-term liabilities	562,815	557,718
Stockholders’ equity
Class A Common Stock - $0.01 par value: 150,000 shares authorized and 103,300 shares issued at each of July 29, 2017 and January 28, 2017	1,033	1,033
Paid-in capital	385,567	396,590
Retained earnings	2,364,596	2,474,703
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(111,371)	(121,302)
Treasury stock, at average cost: 35,208 and 35,542 shares at July 29, 2017 and January 28, 2017, respectively	(1,482,757)	(1,507,589)
Total Abercrombie & Fitch Co. stockholders’ equity	1,157,068	1,243,435
Noncontrolling interests	9,250	8,604
Total stockholders’ equity	1,166,318	1,252,039
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ 2,227,913	$ 2,295,757

Condensed Consolidated Balance4

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Jul. 29, 2017	Jan. 28, 2017
Stockholders’ equity
Treasury Stock, at Average Cost (in shares)	35,208,000	35,542,000
Class A Common Stock
Stockholders’ equity
Class A Common Stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Class A Common Stock, shares authorized	150,000,000	150,000,000
Class A Common Stock, shares issued	103,300,000	103,300,000

Condensed Consolidated Stateme5

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016
Operating activities
Net loss	$ (75,624)	$ (50,661)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used for operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	95,502	99,933
Asset impairment	6,865	6,356
Loss on disposal	3,824	1,336
Amortization of deferred lease credits	(10,412)	(12,577)
Benefit from deferred income taxes	(19,121)	(37,466)
Share-based compensation	10,396	11,000
Changes in assets and liabilities
Inventories, net	(67,964)	(26,517)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	2,908	(35,922)
Lessor construction allowances	5,478	2,530
Income taxes	(3,135)	6,800
Long-term lease deposits	(530)	23,241
Other assets	9,156	(42,579)
Other liabilities	(6,193)	(2,632)
Net cash used for operating activities	(48,850)	(57,158)
Investing activities
Purchases of property and equipment	(61,777)	(58,009)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	203	4,098
Net cash used for investing activities	(61,574)	(53,911)
Financing activities
Dividends paid	(27,159)	(26,992)
Other financing activities	(1,057)	(2,488)
Net cash used for financing activities	(28,216)	(29,480)
Effect of exchange rates on cash	13,354	7,577
Net decrease in cash and equivalents	(125,286)	(132,972)
Cash and equivalents, beginning of period	547,189	588,578
Cash and equivalents, end of period	421,903	455,606
Significant non-cash investing activities
Change in accrual for construction in progress	(9,508)	(4,744)
Supplemental information
Cash paid for interest	6,998	7,537
Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds	$ 2,890	$ 19,041

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	BASIS OF PRESENTATION Nature of Business Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (“A&F”), through its subsidiaries (collectively, A&F and its subsidiaries are referred to as “Abercrombie & Fitch” or the “Company”), is a specialty retailer of branded apparel and accessories. The Company operates through store and direct-to-consumer operations, as well as through various wholesale, franchise and licensing arrangements. The Company has operations in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Principles of Consolidation The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include historical financial statements of, and transactions applicable to, the Company and reflect its assets, liabilities, results of operations and cash flows. The Company has interests in a United Arab Emirates business venture and in a Kuwait business venture with Majid al Futtaim Fashion L.L.C. (“MAF”), each of which meets the definition of a variable interest entity (“VIE”). The Company is deemed to be the primary beneficiary of these VIEs; therefore, the Company has consolidated the assets, liabilities, results of operations and cash flows of these VIEs. Fiscal Year The Company’s fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to January 31. All references herein to “Fiscal 2017 ” and “Fiscal 2016 ” represent the fifty-three week fiscal year ending on February 3, 2018 and the fifty-two week fiscal year ended on January 28, 2017 , respectively. Interim Financial Statements The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements as of July 29, 2017 , and for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended July 29, 2017 and July 30, 2016 , are unaudited and are presented pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, these Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto contained in A&F’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for Fiscal 2016 filed with the SEC on March 27, 2017 . The January 28, 2017 consolidated balance sheet data, included herein, were derived from audited consolidated financial statements, but do not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). In the opinion of management, the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements reflect all adjustments (which are of a normal recurring nature) necessary to state fairly, in all material respects, the financial position and results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods, but are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be anticipated for Fiscal 2017 . Recent Accounting Pronouncements The following table provides a brief description of recent accounting pronouncements that could affect the Company’s financial statements: Accounting Standards Update (ASU) Description Date of Adoption Effect on the Financial Statements or Other Significant Matters Standards adopted ASU 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory This update amends ASC 330, Inventory . The new guidance applies to inventory measured using first-in, first-out (FIFO) or average cost. Under this amendment, inventory is to be measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value, which is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. January 29, 2017 The adoption of this guidance did not have any impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. ASU 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation This update amends ASC 718, Compensation . Under the new guidance, tax benefits and certain tax deficiencies arising from the vesting of share-based payments are to be recognized as income tax benefits or expenses in the statement of operations; whereas, under the previous guidance, such benefits and deficiencies were recorded in additional paid in-capital. The cash flow effects of the tax benefit are to be reported in cash flows from operating activities; whereas, they were previously reported in cash flows from financing activities. This guidance also allows for entities to make a policy election to estimate forfeitures or account for them when they occur. January 29, 2017 As required by the update, all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies recognized on share-based compensation expense are reflected in the condensed consolidated statements of income as a component of the provision for income taxes on a prospective basis. This update resulted in additional non-cash income tax expense of $0.7 million and $9.9 million for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017, respectively. In addition, excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies recognized on share-based compensation expense are now classified as an operating activity on the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. The Company has applied this provision on a retrospective basis. For the twenty-six weeks ended July 30, 2016, net cash used for operating activities decreased by $0.7 million with a corresponding offset to net cash used for financing activities. The Company has elected to maintain its practice of estimating forfeitures when recognizing expense for share-based payment awards rather than accounting for forfeitures when they occur. Based on share-based compensation awards currently outstanding at the stock price as of July 29, 2017, the adoption of this guidance would result in non-cash income tax expense of approximately $11 million for Fiscal 2017 and $20 million for Fiscal 2018. Standards not yet adopted ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers This update supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in ASC 605, Revenue Recognition . The new guidance requires entities to recognize revenue in a way that depicts the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. February 4, 2018 The Company is currently evaluating the impact that this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements. Based on its preliminary assessment, the Company has determined this guidance could impact the timing of revenue recognition through its gift card and customer loyalty programs. This guidance will impact the Company’s method of recognizing gift card breakage income. The Company is also evaluating certain of its arrangements with third parties that could impact the reporting of gross or net revenue. Other areas of impact may be identified as the Company continues its evaluation. ASU 2016-02, Leases This update supersedes the leasing requirements in ASC 840, Leases . The new guidance requires an entity to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclose key leasing information that depicts the lease rights and obligations of an entity. February 3, 2019* The Company expects that this guidance will result in a material increase in the Company’s long-term assets and long-term liabilities on the Company's consolidated balance sheets, and is currently evaluating additional impacts that it may have on its consolidated financial statements. * Early adoption is permitted.

Net Loss Per Share

Net Loss Per Share	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
NET LOSS PER SHARE	NET LOSS PER SHARE Net loss per basic and diluted share is computed based on the weighted-average number of outstanding shares of common stock. The following table presents weighted-average shares outstanding and anti-dilutive shares: Thirteen Weeks Ended Twenty-six Weeks Ended (in thousands) July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 Shares of common stock issued 103,300 103,300 103,300 103,300 Weighted-average treasury shares (34,844 ) (35,356 ) (35,036 ) (35,515 ) Weighted-average — basic shares 68,456 67,944 68,264 67,785 Dilutive effect of share-based compensation awards — — — — Weighted-average — diluted shares 68,456 67,944 68,264 67,785 Anti-dilutive shares (1) 5,154 6,622 5,460 6,251 (1) Reflects the total number of shares related to outstanding share-based compensation awards that have been excluded from the computation of net loss per diluted share because the impact would have been anti-dilutive.

Fair Value

Fair Value	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
FAIR VALUE	FAIR VALUE Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The inputs used to measure fair value are prioritized based on a three-level hierarchy. The three levels of inputs to measure fair value are as follows: • Level 1—inputs are unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities that are available in active markets that the Company can access at the measurement date. • Level 2—inputs are other than quoted market prices included within Level 1 that are observable for assets or liabilities, directly or indirectly. • Level 3—inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable. The lowest level of significant input determines the placement of the entire fair value measurement in the hierarchy. The three levels of the hierarchy and the distribution within these levels of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which are measured at fair value on a recurring basis, were as follows: Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value as of July 29, 2017 (in thousands) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Assets: Trust-owned life insurance policies (at cash surrender value) $ — $ 101,186 $ — $ 101,186 Money market funds 28,021 — — 28,021 Derivative financial instruments — 146 — 146 Total assets $ 28,021 $ 101,332 $ — $ 129,353 Liabilities: Derivative financial instruments $ — $ 9,452 $ — $ 9,452 Total liabilities $ — $ 9,452 $ — $ 9,452 Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value as of January 28, 2017 (in thousands) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Assets: Trust-owned life insurance policies (at cash surrender value) $ — $ 99,654 $ — $ 99,654 Money market funds 94,026 — — 94,026 Derivative financial instruments — 6,042 — 6,042 Total assets $ 94,026 $ 105,696 $ — $ 199,722 Liabilities: Derivative financial instruments $ — $ 492 $ — $ 492 Total liabilities $ — $ 492 $ — $ 492 The Level 2 assets and liabilities consist of trust-owned life insurance policies and derivative financial instruments, primarily foreign currency exchange forward contracts. The fair value of foreign currency exchange forward contracts is determined by using quoted market prices of the same or similar instruments, adjusted for counterparty risk. Fair value of borrowings: The Company’s borrowings under the Company’s credit facilities are carried at historical cost in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. For disclosure purposes, the Company estimated the fair value of borrowings outstanding based on market rates for similar types of debt, which are considered to be Level 2 inputs. The carrying amount and fair value of the Company’s borrowings under the term loan facility were as follows: (in thousands) July 29, 2017 January 28, 2017 Gross borrowings outstanding, carrying amount $ 268,250 $ 268,250 Gross borrowings outstanding, fair value $ 259,532 $ 260,551 No borrowings were outstanding under the Company’s senior secured revolving credit facility as of July 29, 2017 or January 28, 2017 .

Property and Equipment, Net

Property and Equipment, Net	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET	PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET Property and equipment, net consisted of: (in thousands) July 29, 2017 January 28, 2017 Property and equipment, at cost $ 2,812,369 $ 2,772,139 Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization (2,018,995 ) (1,947,401 ) Property and equipment, net $ 793,374 $ 824,738 Long-lived assets, primarily comprised of leasehold improvements, furniture, fixtures and equipment, are tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the long-lived assets might not be recoverable. These include, but are not limited to, material declines in operational performance, a history of losses, an expectation of future losses, adverse market conditions and store closure or relocation decisions. On at least a quarterly basis, the Company reviews for indicators of impairment at the individual store level, the lowest level for which cash flows are identifiable. Stores that display an indicator of impairment are subjected to an impairment assessment. The Company’s impairment assessment requires management to make assumptions and judgments related, but not limited, to management’s expectations for future operations and projected cash flows. The key assumptions used in the Company’s undiscounted future cash flow models include sales, gross profit and, to a lesser extent, operating expenses. An impairment loss would be recognized when these undiscounted future cash flows are less than the carrying amount of the asset group. In the circumstance of impairment, the loss would be measured as the excess of the carrying amount of the asset group over its fair value. The key assumptions used in estimating the fair value of impaired assets may include projected cash flows and discount rate. The Company incurred store asset impairment charges of $6.1 million and $6.9 million for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 , respectively, and $6.4 million for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 30, 2016 , as it was determined that the carrying value of certain assets was not expected to be recovered and exceeded fair value. The Company had $37.8 million and $35.6 million of construction project assets in property and equipment, net at July 29, 2017 and January 28, 2017 , respectively, related to the construction of buildings in certain lease arrangements where the Company is deemed to be the owner of the construction project.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
INCOME TAXES	INCOME TAXES The Company’s quarterly tax provision and the estimate of the annual effective tax rate are subject to significant variation due to several factors. These include variability in the pre-tax jurisdictional mix of earnings, changes in how the Company does business including entering into new businesses or geographies, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, changes in law, regulations, and administrative practices, relative changes of expenses or losses for which tax benefits are not recognized and the impact of discrete items. The impact of these items on the effective tax rate will be greater at lower levels of pre-tax income (loss). In Fiscal 2017, the Company adopted ASU 2016-09, “Compensation—Stock Compensation,” which resulted in discrete non-cash income tax charges recognized in income tax benefit on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss of $0.7 million and $9.9 million for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended July 29, 2017 , respectively. Refer to Note 1, “ BASIS OF PRESENTATION--Recent Accounting Pronouncements ” for further discussion regarding the adoption of this standard.

Share-Based Compensation

Share-Based Compensation	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION	SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION The Company recognized share-based compensation expense of $5.5 million and $10.4 million for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 , respectively, and $4.4 million and $11.0 million for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 30, 2016 , respectively. The tax benefit associated with share-based compensation expense was $2.1 million and $4.0 million for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 , respectively, and $1.7 million and $4.1 million for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 30, 2016 , respectively. Stock Options The following table summarizes stock option activity for the twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 : Number of Underlying Shares Weighted-Average Exercise Price Aggregate Intrinsic Value Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life Outstanding at January 28, 2017 189,800 $ 76.62 Granted — — Exercised — — Forfeited or expired (86,600 ) 74.65 Outstanding at July 29, 2017 103,200 $ 78.27 $ — 0.6 Stock options exercisable at July 29, 2017 103,200 $ 78.27 $ — 0.6 Stock Appreciation Rights The following table summarizes stock appreciation rights activity for the twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 : Number of Underlying Shares Weighted-Average Exercise Price Aggregate Intrinsic Value Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life Outstanding at January 28, 2017 4,079,050 $ 47.49 Granted — — Exercised — — Forfeited or expired (945,276 ) 43.28 Outstanding at July 29, 2017 3,133,774 $ 48.89 $ — 2.5 Stock appreciation rights exercisable at July 29, 2017 2,857,250 $ 51.14 $ — 2.0 Stock appreciation rights expected to become exercisable in the future as of July 29, 2017 240,735 $ 25.68 $ — 7.5 As of July 29, 2017 , there was $1.7 million of total unrecognized compensation cost, net of estimated forfeitures, related to stock appreciation rights. The unrecognized compensation cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 9 months . The grant date fair value of stock appreciation rights that vested during the twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 and July 30, 2016 was $2.2 million and $4.0 million , respectively. Restricted Stock Units The following table summarizes activity for restricted stock units for the twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 : Service-based Restricted Stock Units Performance-based Restricted Stock Units Market-based Restricted Stock Units Number of Underlying Shares (1) Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value Number of Underlying Shares Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value Number of Underlying Shares Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value Unvested at January 28, 2017 1,915,461 $ 25.47 203,923 $ 22.53 184,892 $ 26.89 Granted 1,617,440 9.86 524,030 9.11 236,872 11.79 Adjustments for performance achievement — — — — — — Vested (639,503 ) 26.28 — — — — Forfeited (230,744 ) 23.15 (37,779 ) 21.75 (37,784 ) 26.14 Unvested at July 29, 2017 2,662,654 $ 15.93 690,174 $ 11.82 383,980 $ 16.50 (1) This includes 724,440 unvested restricted stock units as of July 29, 2017 that are subject to the requirement that the Company must achieve at least $1.00 of GAAP net income attributable to A&F for the fiscal year in order to vest. Fair value of both service-based and performance-based restricted stock units is calculated using the market price of the underlying common stock on the date of grant reduced for anticipated dividend payments on unvested shares. In determining fair value, the Company does not take into account performance-based vesting requirements. Performance-based vesting requirements are taken into account in determining the number of awards expected to vest. For market-based restricted stock units, fair value is calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation with the number of shares that ultimately vest dependent on the Company’s total stockholder return measured against the total stockholder return of a select group of peer companies over a three-year period. For an award with performance-based or market-based vesting requirements, the number of shares that ultimately vest can vary from 0% to 200% of target depending on the level of achievement of performance criteria. Unvested shares related to restricted stock units with performance-based vesting conditions are reflected at 100% of their target vesting amount in the table above. Service-based restricted stock units are expensed on a straight-line basis over the total requisite service period, net of forfeitures. Performance-based restricted stock units subject to graded vesting are expensed on an accelerated attribution basis, net of forfeitures. Market-based restricted stock units without graded vesting features are expensed on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, net of forfeitures. As of July 29, 2017 , there was $29.6 million , $4.2 million and $4.5 million of total unrecognized compensation cost, net of estimated forfeitures, related to service-based, performance-based and market-based restricted stock units, respectively. The unrecognized compensation cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 16 months , 17 months and 14 months for service-based, performance-based and market-based restricted stock units, respectively. The tax benefit associated with restricted stock vesting during the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 was $0.5 million and $2.5 million , respectively. The tax benefit associated with restricted stock vesting during the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 30, 2016 was $1.5 million and $6.4 million , respectively. Additional information pertaining to restricted stock units for the twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 and July 30, 2016 follows: (in thousands) July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 Service-based restricted stock units: Total grant date fair value of awards granted $ 15,948 $ 26,823 Total grant date fair value of awards vested 16,806 17,735 Performance-based restricted stock units: Total grant date fair value of awards granted $ 4,774 $ 3,057 Total grant date fair value of awards vested — 1,178 Market-based restricted stock units: Total grant date fair value of awards granted $ 2,793 $ 3,835 Total grant date fair value of awards vested — — The weighted-average assumptions used for market-based restricted stock units in the Monte Carlo simulation during the twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 and July 30, 2016 were as follows: July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 Grant date market price $ 11.43 $ 29.56 Fair value $ 11.79 $ 34.12 Assumptions: Price volatility 47 % 44 % Expected term (years) 2.9 2.8 Risk-free interest rate 1.5 % 1.1 % Dividend yield 7.0 % 2.8 % Average volatility of peer companies 35.2 % 34.5 % Average correlation coefficient of peer companies 0.2664 0.3389

Derivative Instruments

Derivative Instruments	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS	DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS The Company is exposed to risks associated with changes in foreign currency exchange rates and uses derivative instruments, primarily forward contracts, to manage the financial impacts of these exposures. The Company does not use forward contracts to engage in currency speculation and does not enter into derivative financial instruments for trading purposes. The Company uses derivative instruments, primarily foreign currency exchange forward contracts designated as cash flow hedges, to hedge the foreign currency exposure associated with forecasted foreign-currency-denominated intercompany inventory sales to foreign subsidiaries and the related settlement of the foreign-currency-denominated intercompany receivables. Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates will either increase or decrease the Company’s intercompany equivalent cash flows and affect the Company’s U.S. Dollar earnings. Gains or losses on the foreign currency exchange forward contracts that are used to hedge these exposures are expected to partially offset this variability. Foreign currency exchange forward contracts represent agreements to exchange the currency of one country for the currency of another country at an agreed upon settlement date. These foreign currency exchange forward contracts typically have a maximum term of twelve months . The sale of the inventory to the Company’s customers will result in the reclassification of related derivative gains and losses that are reported in accumulated other comprehensive loss (“AOCL”). Substantially all of the unrealized gains or losses related to designated cash flow hedges as of July 29, 2017 will be recognized in cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization, over the next twelve months . The Company presents its derivative assets and derivative liabilities at their gross fair values on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. However, the Company's derivative contracts allow net settlements under certain conditions. As of July 29, 2017 , the Company had outstanding the following foreign currency exchange forward contracts that were entered into to hedge either a portion, or all, of forecasted foreign-currency-denominated intercompany inventory sales, the resulting settlement of the foreign-currency-denominated intercompany accounts receivable, or both: (in thousands) Notional Amount (1) Euro $ 156,421 British pound $ 63,548 Canadian dollar $ 33,696 Japanese yen $ 12,935 (1) Amounts reported are the U.S. Dollar notional amounts outstanding as of July 29, 2017 . The Company also uses foreign currency exchange forward contracts to hedge certain foreign-currency-denominated net monetary assets/liabilities. Examples of monetary assets/liabilities include cash balances, receivables and payables. Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates result in transaction gains/(losses) being recorded in earnings, as U.S. GAAP requires that monetary assets/liabilities be remeasured at the spot exchange rate at quarter-end or upon settlement. The Company has chosen not to apply hedge accounting to these instruments because there are no differences in the timing of gain or loss recognition on the hedging instruments and the hedged items. As of July 29, 2017 , the Company had outstanding the following foreign currency exchange forward contracts that were entered into to hedge foreign-currency-denominated net monetary assets/liabilities: (in thousands) Notional Amount (1) Euro $ 10,479 British pound $ 1,306 (1) Amounts reported are the U.S. Dollar notional amounts outstanding as of July 29, 2017 . The location and amounts of derivative fair values on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of July 29, 2017 and January 28, 2017 were as follows: (in thousands) Location July 29, January 28, Location July 29, January 28, Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: Foreign currency exchange forward contracts Other current assets $ 146 $ 5,920 Accrued expenses $ 9,340 $ 486 Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: Foreign currency exchange forward contracts Other current assets $ — $ 122 Accrued expenses $ 112 $ 6 Total Other current assets $ 146 $ 6,042 Accrued expenses $ 9,452 $ 492 Refer to Note 3, “ FAIR VALUE , ” for further discussion of the determination of the fair value of derivative instruments. The location and amounts of derivative gains and losses for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 and July 30, 2016 on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss were as follows: Thirteen Weeks Ended Twenty-six Weeks Ended July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 (in thousands) Location Gain/(Loss) Gain/(Loss) Gain/(Loss) Gain/(Loss) Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: Foreign currency exchange forward contracts Other operating income, net $ (523 ) $ 618 $ (551 ) $ (1,159 ) Effective Portion Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing Amount of Gain (Loss) Recognized in OCI on Derivative Contracts (1) Location of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCL into Earnings Amount of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCL into Earnings (2) Location of Gain Recognized in Earnings on Derivative Contracts Amount of Gain Recognized in Earnings on Derivative Contracts (3) Thirteen Weeks Ended (in thousands) July 29, July 30, July 29, July 30, July 29, July 30, Derivatives in cash flow hedging relationships: Foreign currency exchange forward contracts $ (11,029 ) $ 7,422 Cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization $ 545 $ (204 ) Other operating income, net $ 634 $ 259 Twenty-six Weeks Ended (in thousands) July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 Derivatives in cash flow hedging relationships: Foreign currency exchange forward contracts $ (12,402 ) $ (1,960 ) Cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization $ 4,081 $ 2,101 Other operating income, net $ 1,161 $ 613 (1) The amount represents the change in fair value of derivative contracts due to changes in spot rates. (2) The amount represents the reclassification from AOCL into earnings when the hedged item affects earnings, which is when merchandise is sold to the Company’s customers. (3) The amount represents the change in fair value of derivative contracts due to changes in the difference between the spot price and forward price that is excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness and, therefore, recognized in earnings.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Equity [Abstract]
ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS	ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS The activity in accumulated other comprehensive loss for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 was as follows: Thirteen Weeks Ended July 29, 2017 (in thousands) Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Financial Instruments Total Beginning balance at April 29, 2017 $ (120,520 ) $ 225 $ (120,295 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications 19,072 (11,029 ) 8,043 Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss (1) — (545 ) (545 ) Tax effect — 1,426 1,426 Other comprehensive income (loss) 19,072 (10,148 ) 8,924 Ending balance at July 29, 2017 $ (101,448 ) $ (9,923 ) $ (111,371 ) Twenty-six Weeks Ended July 29, 2017 (in thousands) Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Financial Instruments Total Beginning balance at January 28, 2017 $ (126,127 ) $ 4,825 $ (121,302 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications 24,679 (12,402 ) 12,277 Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss (1) — (4,081 ) (4,081 ) Tax effect — 1,735 1,735 Other comprehensive income (loss) 24,679 (14,748 ) 9,931 Ending balance at July 29, 2017 $ (101,448 ) $ (9,923 ) $ (111,371 ) (1) Amount represents losses reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss to cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Loss. The activity in accumulated other comprehensive loss for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 30, 2016 was as follows: Thirteen Weeks Ended July 30, 2016 (in thousands) Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Financial Instruments Total Beginning balance at April 30, 2016 $ (98,771 ) $ (5,378 ) $ (104,149 ) Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications (12,596 ) 7,422 (5,174 ) Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss (2) — 204 204 Tax effect 5,235 (1,051 ) 4,184 Other comprehensive (loss) income (7,361 ) 6,575 (786 ) Ending balance at July 30, 2016 $ (106,132 ) $ 1,197 $ (104,935 ) Twenty-six Weeks Ended July 30, 2016 (in thousands) Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Financial Instruments Total Beginning balance at January 30, 2016 $ (119,196 ) $ 4,577 $ (114,619 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications 13,064 (1,960 ) 11,104 Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss (2) — (2,101 ) (2,101 ) Tax effect — 681 681 Other comprehensive income (loss) 13,064 (3,380 ) 9,684 Ending balance at July 30, 2016 $ (106,132 ) $ 1,197 $ (104,935 ) (2) Amount represents gains (losses) reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss to cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Loss.

Segment Reporting

Segment Reporting	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
SEGMENT REPORTING	SEGMENT REPORTING The Company has two operating segments: Hollister; and Abercrombie, which includes the Company’s Abercrombie & Fitch and abercrombie kids brands. These operating segments have similar economic characteristics, classes of consumers, products, and production and distribution methods, and have been aggregated into one reportable segment. The following table provides the Company’s net sales by operating segment for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 and July 30, 2016 . Thirteen Weeks Ended Twenty-six Weeks Ended (in thousands) July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 Hollister $ 446,639 $ 420,084 $ 821,315 $ 782,231 Abercrombie 332,682 363,076 619,105 686,412 Total $ 779,321 $ 783,160 $ 1,440,420 $ 1,468,643 The following table provides the Company’s net sales by geographic area for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 and July 30, 2016 . Thirteen Weeks Ended Twenty-six Weeks Ended (in thousands) July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 United States $ 470,280 $ 478,755 $ 879,347 $ 904,184 Europe 195,895 193,070 350,880 354,527 Other 113,146 111,335 210,193 209,932 Total $ 779,321 $ 783,160 $ 1,440,420 $ 1,468,643

Contingencies

Contingencies	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
CONTINGENCIES	CONTINGENCIES The Company is a defendant in lawsuits and other adversary proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. Legal costs incurred in connection with the resolution of claims and lawsuits are generally expensed as incurred, and the Company establishes reserves for the outcome of litigation where losses are deemed probable and reasonably estimable. The Company’s assessment of the current exposure could change in the event of the discovery of additional facts. Actual liabilities may exceed the amounts reserved, and there can be no assurance that final resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. There are certain claims and legal proceedings pending against the Company for which accruals have not been established. Additionally, for the quarter ended July 30, 2016, the Company recognized a $12.3 million gain in other operating income, net in connection with a settlement of certain economic loss claims associated with the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Basis of Presentation Nature of

Basis of Presentation Nature of Business (Policies)	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
Nature of Business [Text Block]	Nature of Business Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (“A&F”), through its subsidiaries (collectively, A&F and its subsidiaries are referred to as “Abercrombie & Fitch” or the “Company”), is a specialty retailer of branded apparel and accessories. The Company operates through store and direct-to-consumer operations, as well as through various wholesale, franchise and licensing arrangements. The Company has operations in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Basis of Presentation Principle

Basis of Presentation Principles of Consolidation (Policies)	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Principles of Consolidation The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include historical financial statements of, and transactions applicable to, the Company and reflect its assets, liabilities, results of operations and cash flows. The Company has interests in a United Arab Emirates business venture and in a Kuwait business venture with Majid al Futtaim Fashion L.L.C. (“MAF”), each of which meets the definition of a variable interest entity (“VIE”). The Company is deemed to be the primary beneficiary of these VIEs; therefore, the Company has consolidated the assets, liabilities, results of operations and cash flows of these VIEs.

Basis of Presentation Fiscal Ye

Basis of Presentation Fiscal Years (Policies)	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Fiscal Period, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Fiscal Year The Company’s fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to January 31. All references herein to “Fiscal 2017 ” and “Fiscal 2016 ” represent the fifty-three week fiscal year ending on February 3, 2018 and the fifty-two week fiscal year ended on January 28, 2017 , respectively.

Contingencies (Policies)

Contingencies (Policies)	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Contingent Liability Reserve Estimate, Policy [Policy Text Block]	The Company is a defendant in lawsuits and other adversary proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. Legal costs incurred in connection with the resolution of claims and lawsuits are generally expensed as incurred, and the Company establishes reserves for the outcome of litigation where losses are deemed probable and reasonably estimable. The Company’s assessment of the current exposure could change in the event of the discovery of additional facts. Actual liabilities may exceed the amounts reserved, and there can be no assurance that final resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. There are certain claims and legal proceedings pending against the Company for which accruals have not been established.

Basis of Presentation Recent Ac

Basis of Presentation Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Schedule of New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Table Text Block]	The following table provides a brief description of recent accounting pronouncements that could affect the Company’s financial statements: Accounting Standards Update (ASU) Description Date of Adoption Effect on the Financial Statements or Other Significant Matters Standards adopted ASU 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory This update amends ASC 330, Inventory . The new guidance applies to inventory measured using first-in, first-out (FIFO) or average cost. Under this amendment, inventory is to be measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value, which is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. January 29, 2017 The adoption of this guidance did not have any impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. ASU 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation This update amends ASC 718, Compensation . Under the new guidance, tax benefits and certain tax deficiencies arising from the vesting of share-based payments are to be recognized as income tax benefits or expenses in the statement of operations; whereas, under the previous guidance, such benefits and deficiencies were recorded in additional paid in-capital. The cash flow effects of the tax benefit are to be reported in cash flows from operating activities; whereas, they were previously reported in cash flows from financing activities. This guidance also allows for entities to make a policy election to estimate forfeitures or account for them when they occur. January 29, 2017 As required by the update, all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies recognized on share-based compensation expense are reflected in the condensed consolidated statements of income as a component of the provision for income taxes on a prospective basis. This update resulted in additional non-cash income tax expense of $0.7 million and $9.9 million for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017, respectively. In addition, excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies recognized on share-based compensation expense are now classified as an operating activity on the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. The Company has applied this provision on a retrospective basis. For the twenty-six weeks ended July 30, 2016, net cash used for operating activities decreased by $0.7 million with a corresponding offset to net cash used for financing activities. The Company has elected to maintain its practice of estimating forfeitures when recognizing expense for share-based payment awards rather than accounting for forfeitures when they occur. Based on share-based compensation awards currently outstanding at the stock price as of July 29, 2017, the adoption of this guidance would result in non-cash income tax expense of approximately $11 million for Fiscal 2017 and $20 million for Fiscal 2018. Standards not yet adopted ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers This update supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in ASC 605, Revenue Recognition . The new guidance requires entities to recognize revenue in a way that depicts the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. February 4, 2018 The Company is currently evaluating the impact that this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements. Based on its preliminary assessment, the Company has determined this guidance could impact the timing of revenue recognition through its gift card and customer loyalty programs. This guidance will impact the Company’s method of recognizing gift card breakage income. The Company is also evaluating certain of its arrangements with third parties that could impact the reporting of gross or net revenue. Other areas of impact may be identified as the Company continues its evaluation. ASU 2016-02, Leases This update supersedes the leasing requirements in ASC 840, Leases . The new guidance requires an entity to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclose key leasing information that depicts the lease rights and obligations of an entity. February 3, 2019* The Company expects that this guidance will result in a material increase in the Company’s long-term assets and long-term liabilities on the Company's consolidated balance sheets, and is currently evaluating additional impacts that it may have on its consolidated financial statements. * Early adoption is permitted.

Net Loss Per Share (Table)

Net Loss Per Share (Table)	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Weighted Average Number of Shares	The following table presents weighted-average shares outstanding and anti-dilutive shares: Thirteen Weeks Ended Twenty-six Weeks Ended (in thousands) July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 Shares of common stock issued 103,300 103,300 103,300 103,300 Weighted-average treasury shares (34,844 ) (35,356 ) (35,036 ) (35,515 ) Weighted-average — basic shares 68,456 67,944 68,264 67,785 Dilutive effect of share-based compensation awards — — — — Weighted-average — diluted shares 68,456 67,944 68,264 67,785 Anti-dilutive shares (1) 5,154 6,622 5,460 6,251 (1) Reflects the total number of shares related to outstanding share-based compensation awards that have been excluded from the computation of net loss per diluted share because the impact would have been anti-dilutive.

Fair Value (Tables)

Fair Value (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Company's Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value	The three levels of the hierarchy and the distribution within these levels of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which are measured at fair value on a recurring basis, were as follows: Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value as of July 29, 2017 (in thousands) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Assets: Trust-owned life insurance policies (at cash surrender value) $ — $ 101,186 $ — $ 101,186 Money market funds 28,021 — — 28,021 Derivative financial instruments — 146 — 146 Total assets $ 28,021 $ 101,332 $ — $ 129,353 Liabilities: Derivative financial instruments $ — $ 9,452 $ — $ 9,452 Total liabilities $ — $ 9,452 $ — $ 9,452 Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value as of January 28, 2017 (in thousands) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Assets: Trust-owned life insurance policies (at cash surrender value) $ — $ 99,654 $ — $ 99,654 Money market funds 94,026 — — 94,026 Derivative financial instruments — 6,042 — 6,042 Total assets $ 94,026 $ 105,696 $ — $ 199,722 Liabilities: Derivative financial instruments $ — $ 492 $ — $ 492 Total liabilities $ — $ 492 $ — $ 492
Fair Value Measurements, Recurring and Nonrecurring, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Nonrecurring Basis, Valuation Techniques [Table Text Block]	The carrying amount and fair value of the Company’s borrowings under the term loan facility were as follows: (in thousands) July 29, 2017 January 28, 2017 Gross borrowings outstanding, carrying amount $ 268,250 $ 268,250 Gross borrowings outstanding, fair value $ 259,532 $ 260,551

Property and Equipment, Net (Ta

Property and Equipment, Net (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property and Equipment, Net	Property and equipment, net consisted of: (in thousands) July 29, 2017 January 28, 2017 Property and equipment, at cost $ 2,812,369 $ 2,772,139 Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization (2,018,995 ) (1,947,401 ) Property and equipment, net $ 793,374 $ 824,738

Share-Based Compensation (Table

Share-Based Compensation (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Schedule of Stock Option Activity	The following table summarizes stock option activity for the twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 : Number of Underlying Shares Weighted-Average Exercise Price Aggregate Intrinsic Value Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life Outstanding at January 28, 2017 189,800 $ 76.62 Granted — — Exercised — — Forfeited or expired (86,600 ) 74.65 Outstanding at July 29, 2017 103,200 $ 78.27 $ — 0.6 Stock options exercisable at July 29, 2017 103,200 $ 78.27 $ — 0.6
Schedule of Stock Appreciation Rights Activity	The following table summarizes stock appreciation rights activity for the twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 : Number of Underlying Shares Weighted-Average Exercise Price Aggregate Intrinsic Value Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life Outstanding at January 28, 2017 4,079,050 $ 47.49 Granted — — Exercised — — Forfeited or expired (945,276 ) 43.28 Outstanding at July 29, 2017 3,133,774 $ 48.89 $ — 2.5 Stock appreciation rights exercisable at July 29, 2017 2,857,250 $ 51.14 $ — 2.0 Stock appreciation rights expected to become exercisable in the future as of July 29, 2017 240,735 $ 25.68 $ — 7.5
Schedule of Restricted Stock Unit Activity	The following table summarizes activity for restricted stock units for the twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 : Service-based Restricted Stock Units Performance-based Restricted Stock Units Market-based Restricted Stock Units Number of Underlying Shares (1) Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value Number of Underlying Shares Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value Number of Underlying Shares Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value Unvested at January 28, 2017 1,915,461 $ 25.47 203,923 $ 22.53 184,892 $ 26.89 Granted 1,617,440 9.86 524,030 9.11 236,872 11.79 Adjustments for performance achievement — — — — — — Vested (639,503 ) 26.28 — — — — Forfeited (230,744 ) 23.15 (37,779 ) 21.75 (37,784 ) 26.14 Unvested at July 29, 2017 2,662,654 $ 15.93 690,174 $ 11.82 383,980 $ 16.50 (1) This includes 724,440 unvested restricted stock units as of July 29, 2017 that are subject to the requirement that the Company must achieve at least $1.00 of GAAP net income attributable to A&F for the fiscal year in order to vest.
Market-based restricted stock units [Member]
Schedule of Weighted-Average Estimated Fair Value and Assumptions of Restricted Stock Units with Market Vesting Conditions	The weighted-average assumptions used for market-based restricted stock units in the Monte Carlo simulation during the twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 and July 30, 2016 were as follows: July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 Grant date market price $ 11.43 $ 29.56 Fair value $ 11.79 $ 34.12 Assumptions: Price volatility 47 % 44 % Expected term (years) 2.9 2.8 Risk-free interest rate 1.5 % 1.1 % Dividend yield 7.0 % 2.8 % Average volatility of peer companies 35.2 % 34.5 % Average correlation coefficient of peer companies 0.2664 0.3389

Derivative Instruments (Tables)

Derivative Instruments (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Outstanding Foreign Exchange Forward Contracts	As of July 29, 2017 , the Company had outstanding the following foreign currency exchange forward contracts that were entered into to hedge either a portion, or all, of forecasted foreign-currency-denominated intercompany inventory sales, the resulting settlement of the foreign-currency-denominated intercompany accounts receivable, or both: (in thousands) Notional Amount (1) Euro $ 156,421 British pound $ 63,548 Canadian dollar $ 33,696 Japanese yen $ 12,935 (1) Amounts reported are the U.S. Dollar notional amounts outstanding as of July 29, 2017 . The Company also uses foreign currency exchange forward contracts to hedge certain foreign-currency-denominated net monetary assets/liabilities. Examples of monetary assets/liabilities include cash balances, receivables and payables. Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates result in transaction gains/(losses) being recorded in earnings, as U.S. GAAP requires that monetary assets/liabilities be remeasured at the spot exchange rate at quarter-end or upon settlement. The Company has chosen not to apply hedge accounting to these instruments because there are no differences in the timing of gain or loss recognition on the hedging instruments and the hedged items. As of July 29, 2017 , the Company had outstanding the following foreign currency exchange forward contracts that were entered into to hedge foreign-currency-denominated net monetary assets/liabilities: (in thousands) Notional Amount (1) Euro $ 10,479 British pound $ 1,306 (1) Amounts reported are the U.S. Dollar notional amounts outstanding as of July 29, 2017 .
Location and Amounts of Derivative Fair Values on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets	The location and amounts of derivative fair values on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of July 29, 2017 and January 28, 2017 were as follows: (in thousands) Location July 29, January 28, Location July 29, January 28, Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: Foreign currency exchange forward contracts Other current assets $ 146 $ 5,920 Accrued expenses $ 9,340 $ 486 Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: Foreign currency exchange forward contracts Other current assets $ — $ 122 Accrued expenses $ 112 $ 6 Total Other current assets $ 146 $ 6,042 Accrued expenses $ 9,452 $ 492
Location and Amounts of Derivative Gains and Losses on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss	The location and amounts of derivative gains and losses for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 and July 30, 2016 on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss were as follows: Thirteen Weeks Ended Twenty-six Weeks Ended July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 (in thousands) Location Gain/(Loss) Gain/(Loss) Gain/(Loss) Gain/(Loss) Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: Foreign currency exchange forward contracts Other operating income, net $ (523 ) $ 618 $ (551 ) $ (1,159 ) Effective Portion Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing Amount of Gain (Loss) Recognized in OCI on Derivative Contracts (1) Location of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCL into Earnings Amount of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCL into Earnings (2) Location of Gain Recognized in Earnings on Derivative Contracts Amount of Gain Recognized in Earnings on Derivative Contracts (3) Thirteen Weeks Ended (in thousands) July 29, July 30, July 29, July 30, July 29, July 30, Derivatives in cash flow hedging relationships: Foreign currency exchange forward contracts $ (11,029 ) $ 7,422 Cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization $ 545 $ (204 ) Other operating income, net $ 634 $ 259 Twenty-six Weeks Ended (in thousands) July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 Derivatives in cash flow hedging relationships: Foreign currency exchange forward contracts $ (12,402 ) $ (1,960 ) Cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization $ 4,081 $ 2,101 Other operating income, net $ 1,161 $ 613 (1) The amount represents the change in fair value of derivative contracts due to changes in spot rates. (2) The amount represents the reclassification from AOCL into earnings when the hedged item affects earnings, which is when merchandise is sold to the Company’s customers. (3) The amount represents the change in fair value of derivative contracts due to changes in the difference between the spot price and forward price that is excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness and, therefore, recognized in earnings.

Accumulated Other Comprehensi26

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Equity [Abstract]
Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	The activity in accumulated other comprehensive loss for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 was as follows: Thirteen Weeks Ended July 29, 2017 (in thousands) Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Financial Instruments Total Beginning balance at April 29, 2017 $ (120,520 ) $ 225 $ (120,295 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications 19,072 (11,029 ) 8,043 Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss (1) — (545 ) (545 ) Tax effect — 1,426 1,426 Other comprehensive income (loss) 19,072 (10,148 ) 8,924 Ending balance at July 29, 2017 $ (101,448 ) $ (9,923 ) $ (111,371 ) Twenty-six Weeks Ended July 29, 2017 (in thousands) Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Financial Instruments Total Beginning balance at January 28, 2017 $ (126,127 ) $ 4,825 $ (121,302 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications 24,679 (12,402 ) 12,277 Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss (1) — (4,081 ) (4,081 ) Tax effect — 1,735 1,735 Other comprehensive income (loss) 24,679 (14,748 ) 9,931 Ending balance at July 29, 2017 $ (101,448 ) $ (9,923 ) $ (111,371 ) (1) Amount represents losses reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss to cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Loss. The activity in accumulated other comprehensive loss for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 30, 2016 was as follows: Thirteen Weeks Ended July 30, 2016 (in thousands) Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Financial Instruments Total Beginning balance at April 30, 2016 $ (98,771 ) $ (5,378 ) $ (104,149 ) Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications (12,596 ) 7,422 (5,174 ) Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss (2) — 204 204 Tax effect 5,235 (1,051 ) 4,184 Other comprehensive (loss) income (7,361 ) 6,575 (786 ) Ending balance at July 30, 2016 $ (106,132 ) $ 1,197 $ (104,935 ) Twenty-six Weeks Ended July 30, 2016 (in thousands) Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Financial Instruments Total Beginning balance at January 30, 2016 $ (119,196 ) $ 4,577 $ (114,619 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications 13,064 (1,960 ) 11,104 Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss (2) — (2,101 ) (2,101 ) Tax effect — 681 681 Other comprehensive income (loss) 13,064 (3,380 ) 9,684 Ending balance at July 30, 2016 $ (106,132 ) $ 1,197 $ (104,935 ) (2) Amount represents gains (losses) reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss to cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Loss.

Segment Reporting (Tables)

Segment Reporting (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Revenue from External Customers by Operating Segment [Table Text Block]	The following table provides the Company’s net sales by operating segment for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 and July 30, 2016 . Thirteen Weeks Ended Twenty-six Weeks Ended (in thousands) July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 Hollister $ 446,639 $ 420,084 $ 821,315 $ 782,231 Abercrombie 332,682 363,076 619,105 686,412 Total $ 779,321 $ 783,160 $ 1,440,420 $ 1,468,643
Revenue from External Customers by Geographic Areas [Table Text Block]	The following table provides the Company’s net sales by geographic area for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 29, 2017 and July 30, 2016 . Thirteen Weeks Ended Twenty-six Weeks Ended (in thousands) July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 United States $ 470,280 $ 478,755 $ 879,347 $ 904,184 Europe 195,895 193,070 350,880 354,527 Other 113,146 111,335 210,193 209,932 Total $ 779,321 $ 783,160 $ 1,440,420 $ 1,468,643

Net Loss Per Share (Details)

Net Loss Per Share (Details) - shares shares in Thousands		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016	Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding And Anti Dilutive Shares [Abstract]
Shares of common stock issued		103,300	103,300	103,300	103,300
Weighted-average treasury shares		(34,844)	(35,356)	(35,036)	(35,515)
Weighted-average — basic shares		68,456	67,944	68,264	67,785
Dilutive effect of share-based compensation awards		0	0	0	0
Weighted-average — diluted shares		68,456	67,944	68,264	67,785
Anti-dilutive shares (1)	[1]	5,154	6,622	5,460	6,251
[1]	Reflects the total number of shares related to outstanding share-based compensation awards that have been excluded from the computation of net loss per diluted share because the impact would have been anti-dilutive.

Fair Value (Assets and Liabilit

Fair Value (Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value) (Details) - USD ($)	Jul. 29, 2017	Jan. 28, 2017
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Restricted Investments, Noncurrent	$ 101,186,000	$ 99,654,000
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Money market funds	28,021,000	94,026,000
Derivative financial instruments	146,000	6,042,000
Total assets	129,353,000	199,722,000
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative financial instruments	9,452,000	492,000
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Abstract]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	9,452,000	492,000
Level 1 | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Restricted Investments, Noncurrent	0	0
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Money market funds	28,021,000	94,026,000
Derivative financial instruments	0	0
Total assets	28,021,000	94,026,000
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative financial instruments	0	0
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Abstract]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	0	0
Level 2 | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Restricted Investments, Noncurrent	101,186,000	99,654,000
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Money market funds	0	0
Derivative financial instruments	146,000	6,042,000
Total assets	101,332,000	105,696,000
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative financial instruments	9,452,000	492,000
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Abstract]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	9,452,000	492,000
Level 3 | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Restricted Investments, Noncurrent	0	0
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Money market funds	0	0
Derivative financial instruments	0	0
Total assets	0	0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative financial instruments	0	0
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Abstract]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	0	0
Term Loan Facility
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Gross borrowings outstanding, carrying amount	268,250,000	268,250,000
Gross borrowings outstanding, fair value	259,532,000	260,551,000
ABL Facility
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Credit facility, amount outstanding	$ 0	$ 0

Property and Equipment, Net (De

Property and Equipment, Net (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016	Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016	Jan. 28, 2017
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, at cost	$ 2,812,369		$ 2,812,369		$ 2,772,139
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(2,018,995)		(2,018,995)		(1,947,401)
Property and equipment, net	793,374		793,374		824,738
Asset Impairment Charges	6,135	$ 6,356	6,865	$ 6,356
Construction Project Assets [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, net	$ 37,800		$ 37,800		$ 35,600

Income Taxes (Details)

Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 29, 2017
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Operating Activities	$ 652	$ 9,916

Share-Based Compensation (Detai

Share-Based Compensation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016	Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation expense	$ 5,500	$ 4,400	$ 10,396	$ 11,000
Tax benefit recognized related to share-based compensation expense	2,100	1,700	$ 4,000	4,100
Target percentage of equity awards earned			100.00%
Tax benefit realized from exercise of restricted stock units	500	$ 1,500	$ 2,500	6,400
Stock Appreciation Rights
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total unrecognized compensation cost, net of estimated forfeitures	1,700		$ 1,700
Unrecognized compensation cost, weighted-average period of recognition			9 months
Total grant date fair value of awards vested			$ 2,200	4,000
Service-based restricted stock units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total unrecognized compensation cost, net of estimated forfeitures	29,600		$ 29,600
Unrecognized compensation cost, weighted-average period of recognition			16 months
Total grant date fair value of awards granted			$ 15,948	26,823
Total grant date fair value of awards vested			16,806	17,735
Performance-based restricted stock units [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total unrecognized compensation cost, net of estimated forfeitures	4,200		$ 4,200
Unrecognized compensation cost, weighted-average period of recognition			17 months
Total grant date fair value of awards granted			$ 4,774	3,057
Total grant date fair value of awards vested			0	1,178
Market-based restricted stock units [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total unrecognized compensation cost, net of estimated forfeitures	$ 4,500		$ 4,500
Unrecognized compensation cost, weighted-average period of recognition			14 months
Total grant date fair value of awards granted			$ 2,793	3,835
Total grant date fair value of awards vested			$ 0	$ 0
Minimum | Performance-based restricted stock units [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Target percentage of equity awards earned			0.00%
Minimum | Market-based restricted stock units [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Target percentage of equity awards earned			0.00%
Maximum | Performance-based restricted stock units [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Target percentage of equity awards earned			200.00%
Maximum | Market-based restricted stock units [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Target percentage of equity awards earned			200.00%

Share-Based Compensation (Stock

Share-Based Compensation (Stock Option Activity) (Details)	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017USD ($)$ / sharesshares
Stock Option Activity, Number of Underlying Shares
Number of Underlying Shares, Beginning Balance at January 28, 2017 | shares	189,800
Number of Underlying Shares, Granted | shares	0
Number of Underlying Shares, Exercised | shares	0
Number of Underlying Shares, Forfeited or expired | shares	(86,600)
Number of Underlying Shares, Ending Balance at July 29, 2017 | shares	103,200
Number of Underlying Shares, Stock options exercisable at July 29, 2017 | shares	103,200
Stock Option Activity, Weighted Average Exercise Price
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Beginning Balance at January 28, 2017 | $ / shares	$ 76.62
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Granted | $ / shares	0
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Exercised | $ / shares	0
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Forfeited or expired | $ / shares	74.65
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Ending Balance at July 29, 2017 | $ / shares	78.27
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Stock options exercisable | $ / shares	$ 78.27
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Outstanding | $	$ 0
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Stock options exercisable | $	$ 0
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years), Outstanding	7 months 3 days
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years), Stock options exercisable	7 months 3 days

Share-Based Compensation (Sto34

Share-Based Compensation (Stock Appreciation Rights Activity) (Details) - Stock Appreciation Rights	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017USD ($)$ / sharesshares
Stock Appreciation Rights Activity, Number of Underlying Shares
Number of Underlying Shares, Beginning Balance at January 28, 2017 | shares	4,079,050
Number of Underlying Shares, Granted | shares	0
Number of Underlying Shares, Exercised | shares	0
Number of Underlying Shares, Forfeited | shares	(945,276)
Number of Underlying Shares, Ending Balance at July 29, 2017 | shares	3,133,774
Number of Underlying shares, Stock appreciation rights exercisable | shares	2,857,250
Number of Underlying Shares, Stock appreciation rights expected to become exercisable | shares	240,735
Stock Appreciation Rights, Weighted-Average Exercise Price
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Beginning Balance at January 28, 2017 | $ / shares	$ 47.49
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Granted | $ / shares	0
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Exercised | $ / shares	0
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Forfeited or expired | $ / shares	43.28
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Ending Balance at July 29, 2017 | $ / shares	48.89
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Stock appreciation rights exercisable | $ / shares	51.14
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Stock appreciation rights expected to become exercisable | $ / shares	$ 25.68
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Outstanding | $	$ 0
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Stock appreciation rights exercisable | $	0
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Stock appreciation rights expected to become exercisable | $	$ 0
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life, Outstanding	2 years 6 months 6 days
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life, Stock appreciation rights exercisable	2 years 13 days
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life, Stock appreciation rights expected to become exercisable	7 years 5 months 28 days

Share-Based Compensation (Restr

Share-Based Compensation (Restricted Stock Units Activity) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016	Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Tax Benefit Realized from Exercise of Stock Options		$ 0.5	$ 1.5	$ 2.5	$ 6.4
Target percentage of equity awards earned				100.00%
Service-based restricted stock units with $1.00 net income requirement [Member]
Restricted Stock Unit Activity, Number of Underlying Shares
Number of Underlying Shares, Ending Balance at July 29, 2017		724,440		724,440
Service-based restricted stock units
Restricted Stock Unit Activity, Number of Underlying Shares
Number of Underlying Shares, Beginning Balance at January 28, 2017				1,915,461
Number of Underlying Shares, Granted				1,617,440
Number of Underlying Shares, Adjustments for performance achievement				0
Number of Underlying Shares, Vested				(639,503)
Number of Underlying Shares, Forfeited				(230,744)
Number of Underlying Shares, Ending Balance at July 29, 2017	[1]	2,662,654		2,662,654
Restricted Stock Unit Activity, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Beginning Balance at January 28, 2017				$ 25.47
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Granted				9.86
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Adjustments for performance achievement				0
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Vested				26.28
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Forfeited				23.15
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Ending Balance at July 29, 2017		$ 15.93		$ 15.93
Performance-based restricted stock units [Member]
Restricted Stock Unit Activity, Number of Underlying Shares
Number of Underlying Shares, Beginning Balance at January 28, 2017				203,923
Number of Underlying Shares, Granted				524,030
Number of Underlying Shares, Adjustments for performance achievement				0
Number of Underlying Shares, Vested				0
Number of Underlying Shares, Forfeited				(37,779)
Number of Underlying Shares, Ending Balance at July 29, 2017		690,174		690,174
Restricted Stock Unit Activity, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Beginning Balance at January 28, 2017				$ 22.53
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Granted				9.11
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Adjustments for performance achievement				0
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Vested				0
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Forfeited				21.75
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Ending Balance at July 29, 2017		$ 11.82		$ 11.82
Market-based restricted stock units [Member]
Restricted Stock Unit Activity, Number of Underlying Shares
Number of Underlying Shares, Beginning Balance at January 28, 2017				184,892
Number of Underlying Shares, Granted				236,872
Number of Underlying Shares, Adjustments for performance achievement				0
Number of Underlying Shares, Vested				0
Number of Underlying Shares, Forfeited				(37,784)
Number of Underlying Shares, Ending Balance at July 29, 2017		383,980		383,980
Restricted Stock Unit Activity, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Beginning Balance at January 28, 2017				$ 26.89
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Granted				11.79	$ 34.12
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Adjustments for performance achievement				0
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Vested				0
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Forfeited				26.14
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value, Ending Balance at July 29, 2017		$ 16.50		$ 16.50
Minimum | Performance-based restricted stock units [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Target percentage of equity awards earned				0.00%
Minimum | Market-based restricted stock units [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Target percentage of equity awards earned				0.00%
Maximum | Performance-based restricted stock units [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Target percentage of equity awards earned				200.00%
Maximum | Market-based restricted stock units [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Target percentage of equity awards earned				200.00%
[1]	(1) This includes 724,440 unvested restricted stock units as of July 29, 2017 that are subject to the requirement that the Company must achieve at least $1.00 of GAAP net income attributable to A&F for the fiscal year in order to vest.

Share-Based Compensation (Res36

Share-Based Compensation (Restricted Stock Units Assumptions) (Details) - Market-based restricted stock units [Member]	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017$ / shares	Jul. 30, 2016$ / shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Grant date market price (in dollars per share)	$ 11.43	$ 29.56
Fair value (in dollars per share)	$ 11.79	$ 34.12
Price volatility	47.00%	44.00%
Expected term (years)	2 years 10 months 24 days	2 years 9 months 18 days
Risk-free interest rate	1.50%	1.10%
Dividend yield	7.00%	2.80%
Average volatility of peer companies	35.20%	34.50%
Average correlation coefficient of peer companies	0.2664	0.3389

Derivative Instruments (Outstan

Derivative Instruments (Outstanding Foreign Exchange Forward Contracts) (Details) - Cash Flow Hedging - Forward Contracts $ in Thousands	Jul. 29, 2017USD ($)
Inter-company Inventory and Accounts Receivables | Euro Member Countries, Euro
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	$ 156,421	[1]
Inter-company Inventory and Accounts Receivables | United Kingdom, Pounds
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	63,548	[1]
Inter-company Inventory and Accounts Receivables | Canada, Dollars
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	33,696	[1]
Inter-company Inventory and Accounts Receivables | Japan, Yen
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	12,935	[1]
Assets and Liabilities | Euro Member Countries, Euro
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	10,479	[2]
Assets and Liabilities | United Kingdom, Pounds
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	$ 1,306	[2]
[1]	Amounts reported are the U.S. Dollar notional amounts outstanding as of July 29, 2017.
[2]	Amounts reported are the U.S. Dollar notional amounts outstanding as of July 29, 2017.

Derivative Instruments (Derivat

Derivative Instruments (Derivative Fair Values on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jul. 29, 2017	Jan. 28, 2017
Foreign currency exchange forward contracts | Other current assets | Designated As Hedging Instrument
The location and amounts of derivative fair values on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
Other current assets	$ 146	$ 5,920
Foreign currency exchange forward contracts | Other current assets | Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
The location and amounts of derivative fair values on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
Other current assets	0	122
Foreign currency exchange forward contracts | Accrued expenses | Designated As Hedging Instrument
The location and amounts of derivative fair values on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
Accrued expenses	9,340	486
Foreign currency exchange forward contracts | Accrued expenses | Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
The location and amounts of derivative fair values on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
Accrued expenses	112	6
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
The location and amounts of derivative fair values on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
Other current assets	146	6,042
Accrued expenses	9,452	492
Level 2 | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
The location and amounts of derivative fair values on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
Other current assets	146	6,042
Accrued expenses	$ 9,452	$ 492

Derivative Instruments (Deriv39

Derivative Instruments (Derivative Gains (Losses) on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations) (Details) - Foreign currency exchange forward contracts - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016	Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016
Cash Flow Hedging
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Amount of Gain (Loss) Recognized in OCI on Derivative Contracts (Effective Portion)	[1]	$ (11,029)	$ 7,422	$ (12,402)	$ (1,960)
Other operating income, net
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain/(Loss)		(523)	618	(551)	(1,159)
Other operating income, net | Cash Flow Hedging
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Amount of Gain Recognized in Earnings on Derivative Contracts (Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing)	[2]	634	259	1,161	613
Cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization | Cash Flow Hedging
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Amount of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCL into Earnings (Effective Portion)	[3]	$ 545	$ (204)	$ 4,081	$ 2,101
[1]	The amount represents the change in fair value of derivative contracts due to changes in spot rates.
[2]	The amount represents the change in fair value of derivative contracts due to changes in the difference between the spot price and forward price that is excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness and, therefore, recognized in earnings.
[3]	The amount represents the reclassification from AOCL into earnings when the hedged item affects earnings, which is when merchandise is sold to the Company’s customers.

Derivative Instruments (Details

Derivative Instruments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016	Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016	Jan. 28, 2017
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Length of time inventory sales hedged (in months)				12 months
Period in which remaining unrealized gains or losses on intercompany inventory sales are recognized				12 months
Foreign currency exchange forward contracts | Cash Flow Hedging
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in OCI, Effective Portion, Net	[1]	$ (11,029)	$ 7,422	$ (12,402)	$ (1,960)
Foreign currency exchange forward contracts | Cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization | Cash Flow Hedging
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net	[2]	545	(204)	4,081	2,101
Foreign currency exchange forward contracts | Other operating income, net | Cash Flow Hedging
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Amount of Gain Recognized in Earnings, Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing, Net	[3]	634	$ 259	1,161	$ 613
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Other current assets		146		146		$ 6,042
Accrued expenses		9,452		9,452		492
Level 2 | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Other current assets		146		146		6,042
Accrued expenses		$ 9,452		$ 9,452		$ 492
[1]	The amount represents the change in fair value of derivative contracts due to changes in spot rates.
[2]	The amount represents the reclassification from AOCL into earnings when the hedged item affects earnings, which is when merchandise is sold to the Company’s customers.
[3]	The amount represents the change in fair value of derivative contracts due to changes in the difference between the spot price and forward price that is excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness and, therefore, recognized in earnings.

Accumulated Other Comprehensi41

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017		Jul. 30, 2016		Jul. 29, 2017		Jul. 30, 2016
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ (120,295)		$ (104,149)		$ (121,302)		$ (114,619)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	8,043		(5,174)		12,277		11,104
Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss (1)	(545)	[1]	204	[2]	(4,081)	[1]	(2,101)	[2]
Tax effect	1,426		4,184		1,735		681
Other comprehensive income (loss)	8,924		(786)		9,931		9,684
Ending balance at July 29, 2017	(111,371)		(104,935)		(111,371)		(104,935)
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(120,520)		(98,771)		(126,127)		(119,196)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	19,072		(12,596)		24,679		13,064
Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss (1)	0		0		0		0
Tax effect	0		5,235		0		0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	19,072		(7,361)		24,679		13,064
Ending balance at July 29, 2017	(101,448)		(106,132)		(101,448)		(106,132)
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Financial Instruments
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	225		(5,378)		4,825		4,577
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	(11,029)		7,422		(12,402)		(1,960)
Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss (1)	(545)		204		(4,081)		(2,101)
Tax effect	1,426		(1,051)		1,735		681
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(10,148)		6,575		(14,748)		(3,380)
Ending balance at July 29, 2017	$ (9,923)		$ 1,197		$ (9,923)		$ 1,197
[1]	Amount represents losses reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss to cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Loss.
[2]	Amount represents gains (losses) reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss to cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Loss.

Segment Reporting (Segment Repo

Segment Reporting (Segment Reporting Information, by Segment) (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017USD ($)	Jul. 30, 2016USD ($)	Jul. 29, 2017USD ($)	Jul. 30, 2016USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of Operating Segments	2
Number of reportable segments			1
Net Sales	$ 779,321	$ 783,160	$ 1,440,420	$ 1,468,643

Segment Reporting (Net Sales by

Segment Reporting (Net Sales by Brand) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016	Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016
Schedule of Revenue by Brand [Line Items]
Net Sales	$ 779,321	$ 783,160	$ 1,440,420	$ 1,468,643
Hollister
Schedule of Revenue by Brand [Line Items]
Net Sales	446,639	420,084	821,315	782,231
Abercrombie
Schedule of Revenue by Brand [Line Items]
Net Sales	$ 332,682	$ 363,076	$ 619,105	$ 686,412

Segment Reporting (Sales by Geo

Segment Reporting (Sales by Geographic Area) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016	Jul. 29, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016
Net Sales	$ 779,321	$ 783,160	$ 1,440,420	$ 1,468,643
United States
Net Sales	470,280	478,755	879,347	904,184
Europe
Net Sales	195,895	193,070	350,880	354,527
Other
Net Sales	$ 113,146	$ 111,335	$ 210,193	$ 209,932

Contingencies (Details)

Contingencies (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 30, 2016USD ($)
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Proceeds from Legal Settlements	$ 12.3