A Short Guide PDF Created by Claude Smith

MAID

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 4

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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