YDS is well known for its combat boots and military uniforms but the Turkish manufacturer also produces an extensive range of tactical clothing, writes Bob Morrison.
~
I first became aware of Ankara-based YDS (Yakupoğlu Deri Sanayi A.Ş.) many years ago, after they bought the Yorkshire based Goliath Footwear police and safety boot manufacturer, but the Turkish brand really rose to prominence in Britain when their YDS Falcon and YDS Kestrel models were selected for two of the five UK MoD footwear categories under the five-year 2012 Brown Boot contract. However this near 100-year old company with 1500 employees, which is usually has a presence at the major European defence expos and displayed at DVD 2024 last week, supplies a much wider range of kit and uniforms to both the Turkish Armed Forces and its NATO Allies.
A few months back, coincidentally just as I was commencing an intensive six-week course of radiotherapy and days after I had fallen badly when on assignment and put my right shoulder joint out of action by fragmenting my humerus, several garments and a couple of daysacks sent by the Ankara team for review arrived; but I had to put writing about these on hold until my health improved. That said, right from the start I wore a YDS Professional Polo T-Shirt from the YDS Tactical Clothing Series most days when attending the RD&E Oncology department for treatment, because these comfortable shirts are both smart and among the few garments I could relatively easily speedily don and doff with my very painful broken shoulder.
Manufactured from 100% Cotton 250 gr/m² double layer knitted fabric, the YDS Professional Polo T-Shirt is tailored in eight sizes, from XS through to 4XL, and in six colours; Beige and Khaki (as seen here) Gray, Dark Blue, Black and White. The neck has three-button fastening and there is a concealed pen pocket on the left arm. My khaki green shirt has been well worn and put through the weekly wash since late May, but it still looks smart and is very comfortable. The Beige Polo, worn here by Amy because she is much easier on the eye than yours truly ~ and much slimmer too, so the garment is hanging very loose on her ~ has not seen as much use as its Khaki sibling but that is just because I’m keeping it good for my next trip to desert climes.
The YDS team in Ankara also sent us tactical shirts, tactical trousers, a range of socks, a pair of tactical operator belts and a baseball cap to try out and I will bring you more on there in future reviews. An online catalogue for the 2024 YDS Tactical range is available but, regrettably, the online YDS Shop is currently only available in the Turkish language. So, unless you are visiting Istanbul where they have retail premises at the North end of the Galata Bridge behind the Peninsula Hotel, if you are planning to buy online you may need to use DeepL or Google to translate.
To be continued…..
~
