Corset-esque t-shirt refashion

This shirt had been hanging in my closet for years, always with the best intentions to wear it because I love open back shirts. But the fact is this one takes open to a level that makes it really hard to wear, mostly because it gapes so much in the back that it actually exposes too much, like... your whole chest. And I have no qualms about exposing some flesh from time to time, but I do have some limits.

I spent a long time trying to fashion a panel to fit in the giant hole, or some type of dainty lace inset, but ultimately I came to this simple eyelet corset-type closure. It preserves the open back but doesn't dangle my stuff (or lack thereof) for the world to see. Now I just need to design the perfect invisible bra to wear with it...

I used a pair or eyelet pliers (these ones) to set the eyelets. I used the colored ones that had come in the kit, mostly because they've been sitting around since I bought it and I wanted to use them up. I found that the paint has a tendency to crack, but I found putting a piece of stretchy spandex in between the plier and the nice side of the eyelet was helpful in protecting it.

The tiny bows were made with the adorable little fork tutorial that's been going around pinterest. The bows are permanently tied and knotted so the t-shirt doesn't actually "unlace," but it's stretchy and all, so I'd rather have pretty bows than lace my t-shirt every time I want to wear it :-)