MAID

A Short Guide
PDF Created by Claude Smith

Maid Costume Today

Note: The following descriptions and photos originally
came from http://maid.sighvogue.com/. Please don't
sue.
One of the most popular outfits of Japanese Cosplay is
the maid costume known as "maid fuku
(fuku=clothes)".
Cosplay, or rather, costume playing, dressing up in a
variety of costumes in public or private, is a very
popular pastime for many young people in Japan.
There are variety of cosplay styles from manga, anime,
and video games, etc. One style in particular, the maid
costume, has been warmly embraced in the young
person termed as "Otaku", who loves Moe characters
featured in anime relatives.
Today, both Cosplay and Otaku culture are becoming a
important defining feature of Japanese maid costumes,
because the typical real-live maids no longer exist in
reality but only in the imaginary worlds of anime,
manga, and video games. This document will help you
learn about the various styles of maid outfits for use in
your own fiction or cosplay efforts.

Maid Costume and

Apron Dress
Originally, maid costume was a common term used to
refer to the maid clothes or the dresses that was made
in imitation of the maid clothes, worn by servants and
housekeepers in Britain at the end of the 19th century.
Today, this type of dress is commonly called as
"Classical maid costume", and is not among the
mainstream maid outfits.
Yet the apron dresses worn in Britain at the time are
generally defined as the symbolic outfit of Japanese
maids. Originally, the apron dress was not limited to
being a maid costume but was worn in many contexts.
As an example, Alice, the heroine in "Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland(1865)", is also clothed in
the apron dress.
The reason why the apron dresses became defined as
the symbolic outfit of Japanese maids has not been
clearly established. It may be that the pure white apron
dresses provide Japanese Otaku guys with both
comfort and Moe feeling as if the virtual lover in
video games has really come into being in front of
them.

Popular Maid Style in

Japan
The combination of the apron with the traditional
French maid costume is the most popular and common
style of the Japanese maid outfits.
Generally, a Japanese maid costume is a above-theknee, black or navy blue colored, not such clingy,
sophisticated one-piece or separated dress. Typically,
they include an apron with frills; often, the apron is
shortened in the length. The skirt area of the dress is
usually pleated. If knickers or petticoats are worn with
it, they are usually ruffled, and the dress is sometimes
short enough to display them.

Long Maid Costumes

The Long maid dress style looks like one of the most
classical outfits of servants and housekeepers at the
end of the 19th century in Western countries. As this is
an austere and somewhat business-like outfit, this type
of costume is in high demand among the Otaku and
Cosplay people in Tokyo for its rarity, value, and
reserved appearance.
All the illustrations on this page are of Long Maid
costumes (classic).

Above and to the left are Long Maid Costumes.

Dress: Long one-piece
Apron: Long apron dress
Accessories: Head piece, Cuffs

Dress: Long one-piece Apron: Apron dress (separated)

Accessories: head piece, cuffs
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Long Maid Costumes

(Arranged)

Above and to the Left: Dress: Long one-piece, Apron: Long apron
dress, Accessories: Head piece

Above:: Dress: Long one-piece (frilled), Apron: Long apron dress

Accessories: Head ribbon

Long Maid Costumes

(Arranged)

Above and to the Left:: Dress: Long one-piece, Apron:

French type, Accessories: none

Shorty Maid Costumes

Although there are many styles of maid costumes in

Japanese Cosplay cafes, the altered style of the classical
French maid costumes with shorty skirts seem to be
much embraced by young Otaku people in Japan. This
style bases on the maid uniforms of the 19th France,
but many Kawaii refinements have been added on its
original shapes.

Above is a Shorty Maid Costume. The dress is a shorty one-piece dress, and the apron is an
apron dress. She is also wearing a headpiece.

This is a shorty maid costume consisting of a shorty one-piece dress, with an apron dress over it. She is also
wearing a headpiece.

Shorty Maid Costumes

(Arranged)

Above and to the left is a Shorty Maid Costume consisting of a

shorty one-piece dress, with an apron dress (French type) worn
over it. She is also wearing a ribbon tie, a headpiece, and cuffs.

Above and to the right is a shorty maid costume consisting of a

shorty one-piece dress blouse with an arpon dress (french type).
She is also wearing a headpiece and a choker.

Shorty Maid Costumes

(Arranged)

Above and to the right is a shorty maid costume with a

shorty one-piece dress blouse worn with an apron. She is
also wearing a ribbon and a headpiece.

Mini Maid Costumes

These maid costumes have very short above-the-knee

skirts and attract eyes naturally. Often these maids will
wear knickers and petticoats in their mini-skirts.

Above and to the left: She is wearing a mini one-piece

dress with an apron and a headpiece.

Above and to the right: She is wearing a mini one-piece

dress with a pinafore apron and a ribbon headpiece. She is
also wearing a petticoat.

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Mini Maid Costumes

(Arranged)

Above and to the left: she is wearing a mini dress with a

blouse, an apron, and a headpiece.

Above and to the left: she is wearing a one-piece dress with

no apron and a headpiece, petticoat, and a neckband.

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Mini Maid Costume

(Arranged)

Above: She is wearing a mini one-piece dress with an apron. She is also wearing a headpiece and
knickers.

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Lolita Maid Costume

Japanese maids occasionally wear the lolita costume

without apron dress in attempt to look "Moe". They
also behave in a "cute" and "Moe" manner. Some
young Otaku dislike blending lolita cosplay and the
typical maid outfits.

Above and to the left: Pink lolita maid costume

Dress: Lace bardered dress Apron: N/A
Accessories: Cat ears head band
Lace choker, Lace cuffs

Above and to the left: Dress: One-piece dress

Apron: N/A, Accessories: Head piece, Lace gloves

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Lolita Maid Costume

(Arranged)

Above and to the left: Dress: Lace bardered dress, Apron: N/A
Accessories: Head Ribbon, Lace choker
Lace cuffs

Dress: Lace bardered dress

Apron: N/A, Accessories: Head Ribbon, choker
Lace cuffs

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Lolita Maid Costume

(Arranged)

Above: two pictures of Lolita Maid cosplay.

Modern French Maid

Costume
French maid refers to a strongly modified style of
servants dress that evolved from typical maids black
and white afternoon uniforms of the 19th century.
Today it is now mostly associated with fantasy play

and sexual fetishism. Depending on design details,

sometimes they can be classified as lingerie.

Above and to the left: Dress: Lace bardered dress

Accessories: Head piece

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Modern French Maid

Costume

Above and to the left: Dress: Separated dress

Apron: French type, Accessories: Head piece

Above and to the left: Dress: Camisole dress

Accessories: Head piece, Neckband, Cuffs

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Modern French Maid

Costume

Above and to the left: Dress: Lace bardered dress

Apron: French Apron, Accessories: Lace choker, Lace cuffs

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Waloli Maid Costume

In Japan, quite a few girls enjoy kimono dress fashion

called "Waloli". Waloli (=Japanese Style Lolita) is the
fusion of traditional Japanese clothing and Lolita
fashion. It usually consists of kimono or yukata and an
apron dress.

Above :
Dress: Kimono dress, Hakama skirt
Apron: Pinafore, Accessories: Head ribbon

Dress: Kimono dress, Mini hakama, Apron: Pinafore

Accessories: Head ribbon

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Maid Cosplay

In this context, Maid Cosplay is centered on dressing

as maid characters from manga, anime, and video
games, and, less commonly, Japanese live action
television shows or fantasy movies. Sometimes, the
maid outfit is augmented with cat or bunny ears head
band.

Above and to the left: Dress: One-piece dress

Apron: Pinafore, Accessories: Cat ears head band, Choker
Petticoat

Maid Cafes
These are themed restaurants and pubs that originated
in Akihabara, Tokyo in 2000. They have become a
staple of otaku culture. The atmosphere of a maid cafe
is different from any other restaurant, and the staff
treat the customers as if they were the lords and ladies
of the manor. They have since spread to other regions
in Japan and to other countries, such as Hong Kong,
Taiwan, Signapore, Mexico, Canada, and the United
States.

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Maid Cafe (Continued)

When a customer enters the cafe, the maids typically

give an extraordinarily humble greeting, such as
"Welcome home, Master" in order to play the role of a
house servant. In order to enhance the illusion that the
customer is indeed the master, they often serve the
customer in a very deferential fashion. For example,
staff sometimes kneel to mix sugar or milk in teas or
other drinks.

Maid Socks and Tights

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Maid Petticoat and

Knickers

Maid Shoes

That's It!

I hope you enjoyed this

tour of Japanese
Maid Fashion.
-Claude Smith

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