thanks for the input! my synthesis from your responses is that each person has their own preferences about what they wear, which i suppose makes sense. i'm bigger.. size 12, and i've had a really hard time finding tri tops that fit me. they are all so skin tight that i can't hardly stand having them on. and the couple wicking tanks i have tried that worked in the water then rode up on the run, which to me, is the absolute worst thing.

so, i went ahead and ordered the suit. amazon has free returns, so if i don't like the way it fits, i'll probably return and look for a tri top that doesn't feel like it puts my chest in jail.

thanks for your help!

thanks all for your advice on this. this is apparently a common issue for noobs! here is my two cents on the process in case it is helpful for others.

i ended up ordering the pearl izumi women's select one-piece, and i love it!! i immediately liked it when i tried it on, and then i went to a great local tri store we have here and tried on a bunch of two-pieces over the weekend to compare. my guy is running his first tri saturday and was looking for two-pieces so it worked out well. the two pieces were nice because you could pick and choose different brands/styles/sizes for top and bottom, which i could see being a real advantage for people, especially women. i found a few combinations that i liked, but i didn't like any of them better than the one piece i had at home. i ended up sticking with the one-piece for three reasons: (1) the pieces are all about the same price, meaning that the one piece i had cost the same as ONE of the pieces of the two-piece, (2) the one-piece cannot ride up when i'm running - a major issue for me for some reason, maybe my shape, and (3) in order to prevent the ride-up issue, the pieces have to be tight, meaning that for bigger girls like me, the two-pieces necessarily reveal something of a belly-pinch muffin-top kind of deal. not so nice. the one-pieces don't do that - granted, you can still see my belly (this is not a secret!!) but it's, let's say, smoother, in the one-piece. haha. in the end, i felt more comfortable and more confident in the one piece. and i saved some bucks.

two negatives about the one-piece suit to consider: (1) in my suit, the legs are a bit longer than i normally like in a cycling short - they come all the way down to an inch or so above my knee and i'm 5'8". it could be that i needed a smaller size, but i sized up because the reviews recommended it. other than that, the fit is great - nice and form-fitting, but not to much compression that i feel like i'm being squeezed to death, and (2) the one-piece IS harder to remove for bathroom-going. yesterday i was headed out for a swim/bike and needed to go and i had already stretched out and everything, so i was all sweaty. that was a bit challenging, but possible. if you are a person who has to use the restroom often or if you are a person who is not willing to pee in a lake, i might suggest a two piece.

and as the other posters mentioned, the bras are useless if you are at all big-chested (i'm a 36C). i just wear my own sports bra under. that's one reason why i like the pearl izumi select - the bra came separate and is removable. it did have a nice bra that came with it, but not enough support for this girl.

hope this helps!! happy tri-ing!!