The military origin of a garment now feminine
The trench coat was originally designed for British officers in World War I. They needed a coat that could withstand mud, rain, and long days in the trenches—hence the name. British houses Burberry and Aquascutum competed to supply the army, and from that rivalry came the silhouette we know: double-breasted, belted at the waist, shoulder pads, epaulets, wide lapels, and the characteristic storm flap at the back to shed water.
The interesting thing is that this garment never stopped evolving. It left the front, entered cinema—Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's—and from there moved into civilian wardrobes, first men's, then women's. Today, almost a hundred years later, the trench remains one of the most reinterpreted garments in contemporary fashion.
Why Latin American designers are rewriting the trench
In the last cycle of collections we have received at Aguadulce, several designers from Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina have brought us their versions of the trench. And they are completely different from the original European reference.
The first difference is the material. A traditional trench uses heavy gabardine designed for London in autumn—a material that simply doesn't work in Guatemala City. Latin American designers are working with raw linen, organic cotton, light denim, and, in some more conceptual pieces, hand-dyed canvases. The result is a garment that maintains the iconic silhouette but can be worn all year round.
The second difference is the artisanal intervention. Workshops in Oaxaca and the Colombian highlands are embroidering the lapels, belt, and cuffs with local techniques—cross-stitch, drawn thread work, loom appliqués. These pieces are not industrial production: each embroidery takes between 12 and 40 hours of manual labor, and therefore they arrive in very small quantities.
How to choose the trench that suits you
Not all trenches will fit you the same. There are three variables that matter more than the brand or season:
- Length: the short (falls at hip height) is more youthful and works best with jeans or wide-leg pants. The medium (to the knee) is the most versatile. The long (below the knee) is the most formal and needs heels or long boots to avoid shortening the silhouette.
- Waist: if the trench has a belt, always adjust it—a trench without defining the waist visually enlarges the silhouette. If you don't want to define the waist, look for straight models without a belt or with a removable belt.
- Color: beige is the classic, but in warm climates like Guatemala, off-white, natural linen, and sand tones look fresher and combine with any palette.
How to style it in Guatemala
One of the questions we get asked most often in-store is how to wear a trench in a country without a real winter. The short answer: a light layer, not a coat.
For the day, it works perfectly over a linen midi dress with flat sandals. For the office, an off-white trench over tailored trousers and a silk blouse. For the evening, a short trench over a statement dress—the idea is that the trench doesn't provide warmth, but rather structures the silhouette and adds an editorial touch.
The trench as a collector's item
The pieces we have at Aguadulce are not mass-produced. We are talking about short runs—between 3 and 8 units per size, depending on the designer—with unique embroideries that are not exactly repeated. This means that the trench you buy at Aguadulce will not be owned by anyone else in your circle.
And that, in the end, is the point of choosing a garment signed by its creator: you are not buying a product, you are buying the aesthetic decision of someone with a name, a workshop, and a history.
Find our current selection of trench coats and coats by Latin American designers in our online store or visit us at Casa Catorze, Zone 14, Guatemala City.