This screen-printed rayon dress fabric by Ascher was designed by the sculptor Henry Moore while he was at the height of his popularity. It is indicative of the basis of Moore's style, namely the primitivism of the glyph-like images and his strong advocacy for drawn design. Safety pins and combs are themselves some of the most ancient cosmetic tools, so Moore's decision to use them is appropriate, especially given his tendency to portray feminine subjects in his works. He also favoured subjects which emphasised endurance and continuity, and these ancient tools have been among mankind's most lasting.

Moore and many of his contemporaries felt that the senseless and irrational destruction inflicted during the Second World War, and with the destructive onset of the atomic age, that mankind's artistic output ought to be similarly pre-civilised in its sentiments. This design from 1946 came at a time when these feelings must have been very potent.