What to wear

Welcome to the sport.  

Assume that for a sprint race, you'll have no place to change and public nudity is likely to get you DQ'd.  You'll be swimming-biking-running in the same clothes.  

Consider what you already have:  If you already wear a 1-piece swimsuit, have you tried running in it?  Riding in it?  You might train most of the time in bike shorts, but could you ride 12-15 miles without padding?  (Probably, might be worth a try.)  You could also try pulling on a pair of bike shorts OVER your swimsuit, but running in bike shorts probably won't feel good.  You could pull off the bike shorts and add a pair of running shorts over your swimsuit.  (It's just time, you won't lose sponsorship $$ for taking the extra time.)  

You could get a 1-piece tri-suit.  It'll have a small pad for cycling that doesn't absorb much water during the swim and isn't too obtrusive when running.  They'll usually have some kind of zipper.  

You could also get a pair of tri-shorts and pair them with a tri-top.  The tri-shorts will again have a small pad for cycling.  

Tri-tops (& suits) are designed for relatively little swim drag.  Tri-tops may not have a zipper, tri-suits usually do.  If they have pockets, they're usually designed to carry a gel and won't add a lot of drag.  

Some will depend on your specific body type.  Not sure how much support you want while running, and you may not know how a tri-top will work for you without buying it and trying it.  (Which is why I suggest trying what you already have first.)  

I'm a guy and did my first tri's wearing swim trunks and pulling a cotton t-shirt on in T1.  That was 2005 and I've got more gear now.    

Good luck!  

Hi there! Your train of thought is going in the right direction... a two-piece tri suit is a very popular choice for ladies of any level of experience. Also keep in mind that in a sprint distance, there aren't any changing areas, so it would be super difficult (and you'd risk breaking the "no nudity" rule) if you tried to change completely out of something like a swimsuit.

You might do some online research for brands like DeSoto, Zoot, Betty Designs, 2XU, Sugoi, Couer... there are lots of brands out there that have the pieces you're looking for.

For affordability, check Facebook buy/sell groups or eBay. I recently sold a Zoot tri top I'd only worn once for $12. Worth a look!