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.
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Although, as previously mentioned in Part One, I have been wearing a pair of stretchy Professional Polo T-Shirts from the YDS (Yakupoğlu Deri Sanayi A.Ş.) Tactical Clothing Series range for several months, it was only once my fractured shoulder (fragmented humerus) with its associated soft tissue damage began to heal that I was able to wriggle my way into the more formal YDS Tactical Shirts.
These smart three-pocket shirts, available with either long (as here) or short sleeves, are tailored from a 70% polyester and 30% cotton fabric which is Teflon-coated for water repellency and stain resistance. Available in six colours (Black, White, Light Grey, Khaki, Sand and Tundra/Olive) and up to nine sizes (XXS to 4XL) they are smart enough to be worn socially as well as for duty; on very different occasions over the last few weeks I have worn the black shirt while covering DVD 2024, when visiting a defence manufacturer and while attending a brewery’s anniversary real ale festival.
The details: There is a pleated patch pocket, with angled cover flap and hook & loop fasteners, on each side of the chest and behind the pocket on the left there is a large concealed document pocket which extends as far as the side seam. On the upper left sleeve there are twin pen pockets and there is also a slot at the top of each chest pocket to take more pens if so desired. The long-sleeved version has a loop and buttoned tape arrangement to keep them smart if sleeves are worn rolled up. The cuffs have two buttons for adjustment and there is a smaller third button on the vent. There is also a triangular tab and button underneath each collar point for neatness. I usually wear short sleeve tactical shirts from one of the US brands, but I foresee these long-sleeved YDS shirts (I have both Black and Tundra) getting a lot of wear this winter.
Turning now to the YDS Tactical Pants, or Trousers, these are tailored from the same Teflon-coated 70/30 polyester-cotton ripstop fabric as the shirts and are available in seven colours with waist sizes from US 27 to US 42. They have an elasticated waist with seven deep (2”+) belt loops, a zipped fly, and inner and outer waist button fastening. There are four pairs of pockets: two conventional slant type; one with a cover flap at the rear on each hip; one pleated and slightly slanted rearwards on each thigh, also with cover flap; and one near invisible, either side of the front fly, which can each take a short pistol magazine or a pocket knife. Inside each thigh pocket there are two internal pockets on the back face. Pocket flaps have hook & loop fasteners. Trouser hems are plain.
Unfortunately I have problems with these trousers, but this is partly down to my genes (very short legs) and partly on account of me losing a fair bit of weight during radiotherapy treatment, so the manufacturers are not to blame. Incidentally, any Brits reading this should note that US Size 40 does not equate to 40-inch waist as ‘everything is bigger on the American side of the Atlantic’. As for Amy who is modelling the shirt and trousers for us, because using me as a model would frighten the children, although she is taller than me she is slim enough to pretty much fit inside one leg of my trousers!
Incidentally, YDS also manufacture a wide range of trouser belts in both leather (that’s how the company started almost 100 years ago) and polyester. The polyester YDS Tactical Operator Belt is 40mm wide by 1.25 metres long and has a simple but very functional plastic buckle. I started wearing one of these during my daily radiotherapy treatment, at a time when my broken shoulder prevented me easily fastening my more conventional jeans belt, because I found I could tighten and loosen it quite easily with just one hand. Several moths later I’m still using the black belt and I suspect I might not go back to using leather belts with metal buckles.
In my next review I plan to look at a YDS daysack and at a handy YDS computer bag with shoulder straps as an alternative to its conventional handles.
[images © Bob Morrison]
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Footnote: An online catalogue for the 2024 YDS Tactical range is available in both English and Turkish but, regrettably, the online YDS Shop is currently only available in the Turkish language.
