How to style the option of an html "select" element?

Question

There are only a few style attributes that can be applied to an <option> element.

This is because this type of element is an example of a "replaced element". They are OS-dependent and are not part of the HTML/browser. It cannot be styled via CSS.

There are replacement plug-ins/libraries that look like a <select> but are actually composed of regular HTML elements that CAN be styled.

No, it's not possible, as the styling for these elements is handled by the user's OS. MSDN will answer your question here:

Except for background-color and color, style settings applied through the style object for the option element are ignored.

You can style the option elements to some extent.

Using the * CSS selector you can style the options inside the box that is drawn by the system.

Example:

#ddlProducts *
{
 border-radius: 15px;
 background-color: red;
}

That will look like this:

I found and using this good example of styling the selects and options.You can do with this select all you want.Here is the Fiddle

html

<select id="selectbox1">
    <option value="">Select an option&hellip;</option>
    <option value="aye">Aye</option>
    <option value="eh">Eh</option>
    <option value="ooh">Ooh</option>
    <option value="whoop">Whoop</option>
</select>
<select id="selectbox2">
    <option value="">Month&hellip;</option>
    <option value="january">January</option>
    <option value="february">February</option>
    <option value="march">March</option>
    <option value="april">April</option>
    <option value="may">May</option>
    <option value="june">June</option>
    <option value="july">July</option>
    <option value="august">August</option>
    <option value="september">September</option>
    <option value="october">October</option>
    <option value="november">November</option>
    <option value="december">December</option>
</select>

css

body {
    padding:50px;
    background-color:white;
}
.s-hidden {
    visibility:hidden;
    padding-right:10px;
}
.select {
    cursor:pointer;
    display:inline-block;
    position:relative;
    font:normal 11px/22px Arial, Sans-Serif;
    color:black;
    border:1px solid #ccc;
}
.styledSelect {
    position:absolute;
    top:0;
    right:0;
    bottom:0;
    left:0;
    background-color:white;
    padding:0 10px;
    font-weight:bold;
}
.styledSelect:after {
    content:"";
    width:0;
    height:0;
    border:5px solid transparent;
    border-color:black transparent transparent transparent;
    position:absolute;
    top:9px;
    right:6px;
}
.styledSelect:active, .styledSelect.active {
    background-color:#eee;
}
.options {
    display:none;
    position:absolute;
    top:100%;
    right:0;
    left:0;
    z-index:999;
    margin:0 0;
    padding:0 0;
    list-style:none;
    border:1px solid #ccc;
    background-color:white;
    -webkit-box-shadow:0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
    -moz-box-shadow:0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
    box-shadow:0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
}
.options li {
    padding:0 6px;
    margin:0 0;
    padding:0 10px;
}
.options li:hover {
    background-color:#39f;
    color:white;
}

JS

// Iterate over each select element
$('select').each(function () {

    // Cache the number of options
    var $this = $(this),
        numberOfOptions = $(this).children('option').length;

    // Hides the select element
    $this.addClass('s-hidden');

    // Wrap the select element in a div
    $this.wrap('<div class="select"></div>');

    // Insert a styled div to sit over the top of the hidden select element
    $this.after('<div class="styledSelect"></div>');

    // Cache the styled div
    var $styledSelect = $this.next('div.styledSelect');

    // Show the first select option in the styled div
    $styledSelect.text($this.children('option').eq(0).text());

    // Insert an unordered list after the styled div and also cache the list
    var $list = $('<ul />', {
        'class': 'options'
    }).insertAfter($styledSelect);

    // Insert a list item into the unordered list for each select option
    for (var i = 0; i < numberOfOptions; i++) {
        $('<li />', {
            text: $this.children('option').eq(i).text(),
            rel: $this.children('option').eq(i).val()
        }).appendTo($list);
    }

    // Cache the list items
    var $listItems = $list.children('li');

    // Show the unordered list when the styled div is clicked (also hides it if the div is clicked again)
    $styledSelect.click(function (e) {
        e.stopPropagation();
        $('div.styledSelect.active').each(function () {
            $(this).removeClass('active').next('ul.options').hide();
        });
        $(this).toggleClass('active').next('ul.options').toggle();
    });

    // Hides the unordered list when a list item is clicked and updates the styled div to show the selected list item
    // Updates the select element to have the value of the equivalent option
    $listItems.click(function (e) {
        e.stopPropagation();
        $styledSelect.text($(this).text()).removeClass('active');
        $this.val($(this).attr('rel'));
        $list.hide();
        /* alert($this.val()); Uncomment this for demonstration! */
    });

    // Hides the unordered list when clicking outside of it
    $(document).click(function () {
        $styledSelect.removeClass('active');
        $list.hide();
    });

});

Here's some ways to style <option> along with the <select> if you're using Bootstrap and/or jquery. I understand this isn't what the original poster is asking but I thought I could help others that stumble onto this question.

You can still achieve the goal of styling each <option> separately, but may need to apply some style to the <select> as well. My favorite is the "Bootstrap Select" library mentioned below.

---

Bootstrap Select Library (jquery)

If you're already using bootstrap, you can try the Bootstrap Select library or the library below (since it has a bootstrap theme).

Note that you are able to style the entire select element, or the option elements separately.

Examples:

Dependencies: requires jQuery v1.9.1+, Bootstrap, Bootstrap’s dropdown.js component, and Bootstrap's CSS

Compatibility: Unsure, but bootstrap says it "supports the latest, stable releases of all major browsers and platforms"

Demo: https://developer.snapappointments.com/bootstrap-select/examples/

.special {
  font-weight: bold !important;
  color: #fff !important;
  background: #bc0000 !important;
  text-transform: uppercase;
}

<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.9.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
<script src="https://stackpath.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.7/js/bootstrap.min.js"></script>
<link href="https://stackpath.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.7/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet" />
<link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/dist/css/bootstrap-select.min.css" rel="stylesheet" />
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/dist/js/bootstrap-select.min.js"></script>

<select class="selectpicker">
  <option>Mustard</option>
  <option class="special">Ketchup</option>
  <option style="background: #5cb85c; color: #fff;">Relish</option>
</select>

---

Select2 (JS lib)

There's a library you can use called Select2.

Dependencies: Library is JS + CSS + HTML only (does not require JQuery).

Compatibility: IE 8+, Chrome 8+, Firefox 10+, Safari 3+, Opera 10.6+

Demo: https://select2.org/getting-started/basic-usage

There's also a bootstrap theme available.

No Bootstrap example:

$(function() {
  var $select = $('.select2');
  
  $select.select2({
    theme: 'paper'
  });
});

<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/select2/4.0.7/js/select2.min.js"></script>
<link href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/select2/4.0.7/css/select2.min.css" rel="stylesheet"/>

<select class="select2 form-control" placeholder="Country">
  <optgroup label="Alaskan/Hawaiian Time Zone">
    <option value="AK">Alaska</option>
    <option value="HI">Hawaii</option>
  </optgroup>
  <optgroup label="Pacific Time Zone">
    <option value="CA">California</option>
    <option value="NV">Nevada</option>
    <option value="OR">Oregon</option>
    <option value="WA">Washington</option>
  </optgroup>
</select>

Bootstrap example:

$(function() {
  var $select = $('.select2');
  
  $select.select2({
    theme: 'paper'
  });
});

<link href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/bootswatch/3.3.2/paper/bootstrap.css" rel="stylesheet"/>
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/select2/4.0.7/js/select2.min.js"></script>
<link href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/select2/4.0.7/css/select2.min.css" rel="stylesheet"/>

<select class="select2 form-control" placeholder="Country">
  <optgroup label="Alaskan/Hawaiian Time Zone">
    <option value="AK">Alaska</option>
    <option value="HI">Hawaii</option>
  </optgroup>
  <optgroup label="Pacific Time Zone">
    <option value="CA">California</option>
    <option value="NV">Nevada</option>
    <option value="OR">Oregon</option>
    <option value="WA">Washington</option>
  </optgroup>
</select>

---

MDBootstrap ($ & Bootstrap & JQuery)

If you have extra money, you can use a premium library MDBootstrap. (This is an entire UI Kit, so it's not light)

This allows you to style your select and option elements using the Material design.

There is a free version, but it won't allow you to use the pretty Material design!

Dependencies: Bootstrap 4, JQuery,

Compatibility: "supports the latest, stable releases of all major browsers and platforms."

Demo: https://mdbootstrap.com/docs/jquery/forms/select/#color