Best of CSS-Tricks — September 2025

1. 1
   Article

   CSS-Tricks·32w

   Composition in CSS

   CSS has always been composable through the cascade, allowing developers to combine classes and styles naturally. While utility frameworks like Tailwind promote composition, traditional CSS approaches like combining classes or using Sass mixins are equally valid forms of composition. The author argues that CSS composition extends beyond just adding classes in HTML and proposes organizing styles into four categories: layouts, typography, theming, and effects. Rather than focusing on reducing CSS or HTML bloat, developers should prioritize code architecture, structure, and clarity for better maintainability.

   146

   11
2. 2
   Article

   CSS-Tricks·31w

   Is it Time to Un-Sass?

   A developer reflects on 13+ years of using Sass and evaluates whether modern CSS features like native nesting, custom properties, and color-mix() function make it time to abandon CSS preprocessors. The analysis covers how native CSS has evolved to include many Sass-like features, discusses the complexity of modern tooling, and concludes that the decision depends on project size and requirements. For personal sites, moving away from Sass makes sense, but larger codebases may not justify the refactoring effort.

   100

   16
3. 3
   Article

   CSS-Tricks·32w

   What’re Your Top 4 CSS Properties?

   CSS-Tricks team members share their picks for the top 4 CSS properties they'd choose if limited to only four for building a website. Responses vary from typography-focused selections (font, color, padding) to layout-oriented choices (display, flex-direction, grid). The exercise reveals different developer priorities and approaches to web styling, with most favoring shorthand properties like font and background for maximum versatility within tight constraints.

   62

   4