Most bicycles designed for women these days look very much like men’s bicycles, and have more or less horizontal top tubes. Back in the days when women’s bicycles had a sharply sloping toptube, the goal was to enable them to mount the bicycle easily while wearing long skirts–as women were expected to wear 100 years ago.
I suggest you go to a few bicycle stores in your vicinity and ride these bicycles yourself to make a decision as to which is more comfortable. If you’re going to use it for office commute, make sure it has a comfortable seating position and not bent forward too much. A hybrid would be good for you.
photos by tumblr
It’s interesting to learn about how much of a different shape bikes used to take purely because of a skirt!