The evolution of Kim Kardashian’s bum from average rump to icon with its own postcode

LET’S face it, Kim Kardashian’s rear is a force to be reckoned with.

The 36-year-old reality star's shapely behind may have helped her shoot to stardom, but it certainly has evolved over the years.

This week the wife of Kanye West hit the beach and gave fans a rear treat as she went for a splash in the sea along the coast of Mexico.

But her behind hasn’t always been as bootylicious as it has been in recent times.

Here we look back at how Kim’s rear has had a life of its own during her meteoric rise to fame…

2006

A lot has changed since 2006, when a 25-year-old Kim was on Myspace, dating Ray J, and her family hadn't started their reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

At the time, Kim was known for being a stylist - most famously for Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton.

While her bum was by no means small, it was distinctly less peachy than it is today.

2007

This was the year that Kim emerged from the shadow of BFF Paris Hilton and started to become famous in her own right.

In March 2007, the sex tapes that Kim and Ray J had made together were released to the public by porn company Vivid Entertainment as Kim Kardashian, Superstar, a 41-minute movie.

In August 2007, Paris Hilton's reality show, The Simple Life, was cancelled by MTV and two weeks later it was announced that they had commissioned a series with Kim and her family.

The reality starlet began to show off her now-famous derriere on every red carpet she attended, by showcasing it in tight-fitting dresses.

2008

Now becoming a household name thanks to her show, Kim was asked to take part in the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars.

She was partnered with professional Mark Ballas and was the third person to be eliminated, but toned up her famous rear in the process.

She also made her movie debut in the disaster film spoof Disaster Movie.

2009

Through her TV company, Kimsaprincess Productions, the reality star started to make her own workout DVDs, including one called Fit in Your Jeans by Friday.

She also expanded her TV appearances, starring in How I Met Your Mother, along with being a guest judge on America’s Next Top Model.

Kim also turned her hand to business, launching her own fragrance, called Kim Kardashian.

2010

Kim's rear was to go down in history this year, as Madame Tussauds revealed a waxwork of the star in their New York branch.

It was a busy time for Kim as she also starred on the 10th season of The Celebrity Apprentice - alongside Donald Trump - in America.

She also hit the New York Times Best Seller List with an autobiography written with her sisters, called Kardashian Konfidential.

2011

Kim got engaged to NBA player Kris Humphries in May 2011 and tied the knot in the August of the same year.

Kim's gown was of course fitted to show off her shapely derriere, and it was also when fans began to speculate that her bum had grown in size.

The marriage famously lasted only 72 days, with Kim starting to date long-time friend Kanye West the following year.

2012

In 2012 Kim fell pregnant with her first child with Kanye West, North.

And the star began to have fun with her pregnacy fashion, not shying away from tight-fitting dresses and clothes that revealed her curvy figure, and expanding rear.

This year she also kept busy launching the Kardashian Kollection fashion line in England.

2013

Kim's divorce from Kris Humphries was finalised on June 3, 2013, and the star gave birth to daughter North on June 15.

The Queen of Curves shared a now-infamous "belfie" showcasing her post-baby body in a revealing white leotard, sparking a trend which saw many other stars and fans to follow suit.

She became engaged to Kanye West on her birthday later that year.

2014

Kim's bum "broke the internet" when she hit the cover of Paper magazine in their winter issue, captured by photographer Jean-Paul Goude.

In the famous shot, her nude, oiled-up buttocks faced the camera and she smiled at the camera.

Not only did her bum cause a stir but Kim also launched her popular mobile game, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, which has become one of the highest earning game in Apple's App Store.

She also showed off her curvier buttocks on a second honeymoon in Mexico with hubby Kanye West.

2015

In the same year that Kim gave birth to her second child, Saint, she released a book dedicated purely to shots of herself, called Selfie.

The 325-page portfolio contained numerous images of her shapely bum, captured by Kim in mirrors at her home and during her multiple hotel stays.

Her bum also hit the tech world, when Kim launched her emoji pack for iOS devices called Kimoji, which had a number featuring her behind.

She drew even more attention to her curvy body when she donned a semi-sheer sparkling gown to the Met Gala in May.

2016

After years of denying that she has had her buttocks cosmetically enhanced, Kim finally admitted that she has injections in her bum.

Kim admitted she still has cortisone shots to treat psoriasis, which was first spotted by her mum Kris Jenner, when she noticed a rash on her daughter’s legs as a teen.

This has led to people speculate she has bum implants, because after the first cortisone injection she was left with a dent in her derriere.

Despite the praise and attention she receives for her body, Kim last year admitted she wished to shrink her bum back down to its 2011 days.

2017

Kim has slowly been returning to life post her attack in Paris, when she was attacked and bound in October 2016 and robbed of expensive jewellery.

The mum-of-two showed off her un-airbrushed body in red, yellow, and beige-coloured swimwear in April this week.

The reality babe jetted off on the break to help sister Kourtney celebrate her 38th birthday, and they have been staying at a luxury resort with a group of pals.