Yellow is one of my favourite colours. I always associate it with happiness and joy. This isn’t my perfect shade, which would be more lemony, but it just about does it. I usually put yellow and white together, but the last time I wore this I paired it with a yellow shirt. I wanted to be a beacon of yellowness.

I wore it earlier this month to what I thought was a memorial. It was for a lady who was one of the most energetic women I’ve ever met. Her name was Maya and she had died from cancer, aged 60. She just exuded positivity and fabulousness and I wanted to celebrate her life. I walked in and realised it was a requiem mass – I was the only person not wearing black. For a second, I worried about what all the staunch Catholics would think, but then I thought: I don’t care. My friend always liked the way I dressed and I imagined her looking down and thinking: here she is, dressing for me.

Wearing a trouser suit can look old-fashioned, but I think pairing it with stacked white trainers gives the outfit a sportiness and freshness. I spent many years in pairs of very high shoes [as the co-presenter of the TV makeover series What Not to Wear] – it was the only way my legs looked good standing next to Susannah [Constantine], who has the best legs in the business.

Since I got this suit from Zara, I’ve worn it so many times. People ask if high street clothes are too “fast fashion” and say we should buy vintage, but when I look at old pieces from Biba and Ossie Clark – which were the fast fashion of their day – they are now cult collectables. When I buy clothes from Zara, I give them as much love, care and support as I would the Celine coat hanging next to them in my wardrobe. I treat them with respect and nurture the possibilities they have.

On the show, I always talked about how important it is for women to wear colour. It’s about walking into a room and making your presence felt. If you’re tired and lacking in energy, then your clothes can do that for you.

Trinny Woodall is the founder of Trinny London.