February is the time of year when red abounds, whether connected to the love and romance of Valentine’s Day, or as an auspicious color linked to the Lunar New Year.

For the unattached, wearing the color red may enhance dating prospects. Researchers have found that men are attracted to those who wear red — from the mere kiss of rouge lipstick, to the eye-catching swing of a red handbag, or flash of the sole of Christian Louboutin heels — reading it as availability, while women associate the color with power.

And despite what you see on reality television, dating experts from a range of institutions, from Glamour magazine to eHarmony, all say real men don’t want to see anything too revealing on a date. Being flirty or sexy doesn’t mean leaving nothing to the imagination.

This is also the year to experiment with the color gray because of the release of the film, "50 Shades of Grey," tied to Valentine’s Day. It’s an erotic tale about a college student’s affair with a controlling billionaire, Christian Grey. Lingerie and home furnishings companies picked up on the protagonist’s last name to make gray the new dominant color for the boudoir.

And when it comes to our seduction style, eBay has done some research and named Hawaii the sexiest state based on sales of lingerie and sleepwear before and after the release of the film’s trailer. It turns out that shoppers from Hawaii bought 86 percent more chemises in August, following the release, compared to the same month the year before.

Joining Hawaii on the sexiest-state list are Wyoming, Arizona, Oregon and New Mexico. (The least sexy are Nebraska, Delaware, Connecticut, Maine and Indiana.)

En route to finding love, there is many a date night to endure, and comfort and clothing that compliments are key to making a lasting impression.