I was lucky that the LBS that I patronize is not "patronizing" to me because I'm female and over forty. When I recently bought my Dolce Elite, they showed me a "men's" bike as an alternative. I ended up buying the Dolce because I prefer a WSD bike.

The reasons: I am 5'5" but with a petite build. I am small boned, so I have small hands and regular (men) sized brake levers, handlebars, etc, are uncomfortable. Reach is another concern for me, as I prefer the shorter reach of a WSD bike because my arms are short. Then there's toe overlap. The thing I love about my Terry is the smaller front tire, which gives me greater control over the bike and eliminates the toe overlap. Interestingly, my Dolce has a regular tire but the geometry of the frame is such that I haven't experienced any problems w/toe overlap. WSD bikes have always felt more comfortable to me and consequently, I feel much more confident in the saddle.