Hi RHG
I also have red hair and have been moved to wonder why no-one has invented better maternity tights. So here is my reply.
Like you I've been a bit reluctant to spend £30 on a pair of tights, despite being prepared to spend quite a lot on outer layers clothes.
But being part-way into the third trimester and not finding much apart from stretchy trousers and lycra dresses comfortable anymore I had another look about for tights a couple of weeks ago.
I wasn't looking for support tights - but black opaques that don't sag around the crotch. That said, these can be a bit similar can't they?
I couldn't seem to source anything suitable even at the £30 end.
In real, non-pregnant life I've always found Wolford opaque tights very good - although with a price tag to match. But they don't do maternity.
M&S, Mothercare and all the £6 a pair type tights sag - and in order to prevent this I've ended up wearing a second pair of pants over top of them to keep 'em up, Superman-style. This works, but makes you feel like John Major
Spanx and Isabella Oliver have maternity styles, but these are in the £30 league and are not opaque - they're 10 or 15 denier - except for the Spanx leggings which may work for you (they're footless, obviously, being leggings, so you'd have to wear boots with them). Seraphine Kensington Church Street was out of these when I went in two weeks ago.
Other solutions: hold-up stockings (maybe with garters). You could try a Wolford style brand for these. But I'm not sure whether they'd help or hinder VVs and if you have an active job or lots of running about to do they're not so great either.
So the picture is not quite bleak but not great either as far as I've discovered so far. If any tights manufacturers read this board they've got 8 weeks to come up with something good before I'm not pregnant anymore and can start to go back to real world dressing (hooray!)
Hope this is helpful, if not useful!
Mrs Baldwin