Allow me a short excursion into tightlacing, just to get a better idea of what we are talking about.
Waist reduction is confirmed
The top goal is 20 inch.
From a tightlacing website: "Today's waists are on average 28" to 34". A reasonable expectation is 24"-28" with moderate corseting and 20"-24" with figure training. Smaller waists are possible with long term training [...] and also in 'accomplished lacers'".
The most know accomplished lacer should be Cathie Jung. Her uncorseted waist is 21'', her corseted waist (as shown in the pic below) is 15''.
As I think about a 20 inch waist, I think about how it is possible. I have a 18 inch neck and, for comparison sake, I wonder how is it possible to fit internal organs in a space only slightly bigger than my neck which doesn't need to fit so much.
Here you can see the effects corseting has on the body. And
here are x-rays of Cathie.
Will you be removing the lower floating ribs to accomplish this ?
You bet I will
Of course, rib removal is yet another thing (and it seems that most tightlacers don't advocate surgery). Some first impressions can be found
here.
While I can currently go to 16 inches with a corset, I'm not doing it for the corset modelling, but rather uncorseted with a corseted look
Ariane_Saint_Amour, how many hours at a time are you wearing your corset?