a common fetish figure.

A French maid costume consists of (everything black unless specified):

  1. high heels
  2. fishnet stockings
  3. some sort of very short skirt, of the kind that sticks out a bit, possibly thanks to a small crinoline. Frequently edged with white lace.
  4. a frilly white apron, more symbolic than protective
  5. a corset, excruciatingly tight
  6. a choker, possibly with a cameo
  7. a frilly white headpiece
Gloves are optional. Variations of the costume include lock-on shoes and the usual bondage paraphernalia.

The french maid is a mainstream sexual archetype (like the schoolgirl and the nurse), but in the fetish/BDSM context she is, almost always, the submissive character in a DS relationship (or scene, let us not be specific here). A cute European/French accents is helpful but not necessary.
A french maid can also be used by a dominant as an "agent" in a scene to, e.g. punish a third person: the idea being that it is extremely humiliating to be dominated by proxy, especially if the proxy is the ever-submissive french maid.


It remains only to be said that a French maid isn't necessarily French nor (more interestingly) a woman: transvestite fantasies (especially of the forced feminization kind) occasionally lean towards the French maid stereotype.

Let us make a deal: you do not ask me how I know, and I do not ask you why you are reading this, OK :-) ?

thanks to belgand