Mary Quant’s first boutique, Bazaar, opened in London's King's Road in 1955, launching a successful fashion career. Her youthful easy-to-wear clothing became so popular that in 1963, she launched a lower-priced ready-to-wear range called 'Ginger Group'. She also entered into licensing agreements with manufacturers to produce hosiery, underwear, cosmetics and accessories bearing her name. Almost anyone, whatever their income, could spare the money to buy a pair of 'Mary Quant' stockings or a lipstick. This enabled girls who could not otherwise afford her clothing to feel in touch with fashion, and made Mary Quant a household name and a commercial success.

By 1970, Mary Quant and her business partners closed their Bazaar boutiques to focus on the licencing business, although Quant continued to design good quality ready-to-wear fashion retailed through her brand. This dress may never have been put into production, as no other examples have been found. It may have been uneconomical, with the amount of shirring work required to produce, and the printed silk, possibly a Liberty design, may have been too expensive for the typical Mary Quant price range. It comes from the wardrobe of Pamela Howard Mace (1932-2008), who had a long career in fashion, after starting work in London for the magazine Home Notes, at the age of sixteen. She moved to South Africa for a while, but returned to London in 1962, where she worked for Mary Quant as her PA, becoming design director in 1968 until the late 1970s.