If you watch anime or read manga, then you must’ve encountered the classic anime girl in a maid outfit character. The outfits those anime girls in typical maid scenarios wear have a historical background that you may not have heard of.
The French maid outfit is a type of Victorian-era clothing that was worn by a lady’s maid who had a French nationality. Lady’s maids used to be personal attendants for their female employers who were of higher status.
They’d help them with stuff like hairdressing, make-up, clothing, and anything else that was involved with maintaining the appearance of their lady. They were basically the female version of valets.
The French maid outfit in French is called costume de soubrette.
The French maid outfits are popular in the otaku culture. Therefore they can be seen in a lot of anime, manga, and even in real-life cafes themed around maids (maid cafes). They’re a huge part of the moe culture and a lot of the time the outfit can be used for creating erotic elements (which are quite compelling).