Dating a Double Elevens dress

I am trying to date this gorgeous cotton dress with the Double Elevens symbol from the late 40's early 50's. There are no other labels on the dress. There are poppers down the side and there is no lining. It has bows along the waist. The cotton feels soft and heavy, and the colours are more vibrant in the flesh.

The lady who's mother it belonged to believes it was worn by her in the 1940's.

 

It's a very unusual fabric choice, almost african. Can you get it modelled at all? that would help to see the shape. I can see a drop waist with a small peplum, is that correct?

 

Yes, it is very Africanesque (if that's a word ;) ). There's no peplum, just little bows all the way round the waist, which is a drop waist that sits just below my hips. At some point it has been altered at the shoulders so would have sat much lower than the waist.
I will try get put it on one of my mannequins today, unfortunately I have a manic day out and about.

 

Ooh, that looks intriguing! Like Melanie, I'd love to see it on a form, and see a closeup of the bodice too. It looks like there may be some ruching or twisting of the fabric there?

Also, this is outside my ken, but isn't that a WWII (or post-WWII) rationing label?

 

Yes Carrie the 'double elevens' is one of the names people use to refer to this particular utility label (it's also known as the 'dinner plate'), which as far as we know, was used in the same period as the standard CC41 label from 1942-1952.
This label's meaning has never truly been identified; some people believe it was used on garments of a higher quality that attracted 25% more tax to pay for this decadence, others believe that it was put on garments produced for export.

This print looks like it could be batik. Can we see the reverse of the fabric please?

 

I am to blame for it being called the Dinner Plate label. I was calling it that in discussions here on the VFG ten+ years ago as a way of describing it and the nickname took off via eBay. It's correct period nickname is Double Elevens - that info I got from a descendant of the designer Reginald Shipp. The Double Elevens label doesn't seem to appear in any garment before the end of the war, whereas CC41 labels continue well past the end of the war, so there is an overlap. I have even seen a dress with both labels in it, but only once. I don't think it has anything to do with export dresses as the vast majority of dresses with the Double Elevens label are found in the UK. I have found a few here in Canada but all of the ones I have found with provenance were brought over by a war bride. Double Elevens labels definitely appear in better quality garments - more fabric and details etc. but it does seem to disappear from use around 1952 - when the utility scheme ends. Your dress looks 1950-52 to me from what I can tell, but like everyone else says, seeing it on a live body would help.

 

Thank you for all of your responses. I have taken some photos on a mannequin, I hope this helps. The last one is of the back. I am having to use my ipad as a camera because I have lost my US to UK adaptor for my camera, so I am sorry for the poor quality.

 

The low square neckline is a popular feature in 1947/1948

 

Thank you Jonathan, and I forgot to mention the fabric looks exactly the same on the reverse.

 

Mary Jane, I am quite certain it is Batik and not imitation, as Melanie mentioned before. The reverse of the fabric is the same general pattern however some of the detailing to the pattern is not showing on the reverse. I guess the fabric was imported into Great Britain from Europe or further away during or after the war, hence the Double Elevens label.