Popular maid style in Japan
The combination of the apron and the traditional French maid costume is the most popular and common style of the Japanese maid outfits.
Generally, Japanese maid costume is a above-the-knee, black or navy blue colored, not such clingy, sophisticated one-piece or separated dress. Typically, they include an apron with frill; 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.
This type of costume is mainly used for the maid cafe waitress uniform or for the Cosplay outfits. Because there is no employment system of live-in housekeeper in Japan today, and it is supposed that the "actual house maid" no longer exist. If at all, she need not wear both such a Kawaii French maid costume and a chocolate-box apron dress to perform her actual tasks realistically.