Freddie Mercury donned the tight, black leather shorts to startle revelers at 1980s concerts in Birmingham and Toronto, among others.
A pair of “shocking” leather hotpants worn by Freddie Mercury sold for £18,000 at auction.
Queen’s main singer wore black leather shorts to Birmingham and Toronto concerts in 1980, during the band’s peak.
Mercury perished in 1991 at the age of 45 from complications related to AIDS.
The 28in (71cm) waist trousers are mentioned in Queen: As It Began, the band’s authorized biography.
In a chapter about Queen conquering America, it is stated: “Freddie chose the shortest, tightest pair of black leather shorts he could locate for the encore in an attempt to shock the audience.
“They didn’t leave much to the imagination, but no one complained…”
In 1993, they had been acquired at the Queen Fan Club Auction in Southport.
The omega auction house reported that they were acquired by an international collector.
The lot also included a copy of the book and a letter of authenticity signed by fan club secretary Jacky Gunn.
In a separate auction later this year, 1,500 personal artifacts from Mercury’s Kensington residence will be sold.
The collection contains never-before-seen handwritten working lyrics to Queen’s We Are the Champions, a facsimile of St. Edward’s Crown, and the bedside telephone he used.
From August 4 to September 5, Sotheby’s will display Mercury’s 77th birthday items.
