<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<FilingSummary>
  <Version>3.26.1</Version>
  <ProcessingTime/>
  <ReportFormat>html</ReportFormat>
  <ContextCount>18</ContextCount>
  <ElementCount>32</ElementCount>
  <EntityCount>1</EntityCount>
  <FootnotesReported>false</FootnotesReported>
  <SegmentCount>8</SegmentCount>
  <ScenarioCount>0</ScenarioCount>
  <TuplesReported>false</TuplesReported>
  <UnitCount>1</UnitCount>
  <MyReports>
    <Report instance="d70088dpre14a.htm">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R1.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>995100 - Document - Cover</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://xbrl.sec.gov/dei/role/document/Cover</Role>
      <ShortName>Cover</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Cover</MenuCategory>
      <Position>1</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="d70088dpre14a.htm">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R2.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>995410 - Disclosure - Pay vs Performance Disclosure</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://xbrl.sec.gov/ecd/role/PvpDisclosure</Role>
      <ShortName>Pay vs Performance Disclosure</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Notes</MenuCategory>
      <Position>2</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="d70088dpre14a.htm">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R3.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>995443 - Disclosure - Award Timing Disclosure</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://xbrl.sec.gov/ecd/role/AwardTimingDisclosure</Role>
      <ShortName>Award Timing Disclosure</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Notes</MenuCategory>
      <Position>3</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="d70088dpre14a.htm">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R4.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>995447 - Disclosure - Insider Trading Policies and Procedures</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://xbrl.sec.gov/ecd/role/InsiderTradingPoliciesProc</Role>
      <ShortName>Insider Trading Policies and Procedures</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Notes</MenuCategory>
      <Position>4</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <LongName>All Reports</LongName>
      <ReportType>Book</ReportType>
      <ShortName>All Reports</ShortName>
    </Report>
  </MyReports>
  <InputFiles>
    <File>aeo-20260131.xsd</File>
    <File doctype="PRE 14A" isUsgaap="true" original="d70088dpre14a.htm">d70088dpre14a.htm</File>
  </InputFiles>
  <SupplementalFiles>
    <File>g70088david.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088dsp128.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088dsp129.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088dsp130.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088dsp131.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g00c01.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g00g01.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g00g02.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g00g04.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g00g06.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g00g07.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g00g08.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g00g09.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g00n99.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g01u19.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g02k02.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g05k05.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g09h09.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g10u41.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g11b11.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g11r11.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g12r12.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g12w78.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g15p15.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g18c99.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g20s23.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g21w18.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g33c25.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g38w37.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g39e74.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g47h77.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g49g07.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g50t04.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g52d52.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g53k40.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g55k78.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g58a66.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g60q88.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g60y10.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g69m95.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g74a36.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g75r75.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g76r76.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g76x73.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g84k59.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g84s48.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g88o03.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088g97q22.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088henretta.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088janice.jpg</File>
    <File>g70088spiegel.jpg</File>
  </SupplementalFiles>
  <BaseTaxonomies>
    <BaseTaxonomy items="5">http://fasb.org/us-gaap/2025</BaseTaxonomy>
    <BaseTaxonomy items="4">http://xbrl.sec.gov/dei/2025</BaseTaxonomy>
    <BaseTaxonomy items="72">http://xbrl.sec.gov/ecd/2025</BaseTaxonomy>
  </BaseTaxonomies>
  <HasPresentationLinkbase>false</HasPresentationLinkbase>
  <HasCalculationLinkbase>false</HasCalculationLinkbase>
</FilingSummary>
