diff --git a/src/components/calcite-dropdown-item/calcite-dropdown-item.scss b/src/components/calcite-dropdown-item/calcite-dropdown-item.scss
index cd25c61d445..e847d6a326f 100644
--- a/src/components/calcite-dropdown-item/calcite-dropdown-item.scss
+++ b/src/components/calcite-dropdown-item/calcite-dropdown-item.scss
@@ -1,25 +1,25 @@
-:host([scale="s"]) .container {
+.container--s {
   @apply text--2h pr-2 pl-6 py-1;
 }
 
-:host([scale="m"]) .container {
+.container--m {
   @apply text--1h pr-3 pl-8 py-2;
 }
 
-:host([scale="l"]) .container {
+.container--l {
   @apply text-1h pr-4 pl-10 py-3;
 }
 
 // RTL
-:host([scale="s"]) .calcite--rtl {
+.container--s.calcite--rtl {
   @apply pr-6 pl-2;
 }
 
-:host([scale="m"]) .calcite--rtl {
+.container--m.calcite--rtl {
   @apply pr-8 pl-3;
 }
 
-:host([scale="l"]) .calcite--rtl {
+.container--l.calcite--rtl {
   @apply pr-10 pl-4;
 }
 
@@ -65,31 +65,31 @@
 
 //focus
 :host,
-:host([islink]) a {
+.container--link a {
   @apply focus-base;
 }
 :host(:focus),
-:host([islink]) a:focus {
+.container--link a:focus {
   @apply focus-inset;
 }
 
 // when used as link move styling anchor
-:host([islink]) .container {
+.container--link {
   @apply p-0;
   & a {
     @include itemStyling;
   }
 }
 
-:host([scale="s"]) .dropdown-link {
+.container--s .dropdown-link {
   @apply px-3 py-2;
 }
 
-:host([scale="m"]) .dropdown-link {
+.container--m .dropdown-link {
   @apply px-4 py-3;
 }
 
-:host([scale="l"]) .dropdown-link {
+.container--l .dropdown-link {
   @apply px-5 py-4;
 }
 
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@
   }
 }
 
-:host([active]:not([selection-mode="none"])) .container {
+:host([active]) .container:not(.container--none-selection) {
   @apply text-color-1 font-medium;
   &:before {
     @apply opacity-100;
@@ -131,19 +131,19 @@
 }
 
 // no dot for none and multi modes
-:host([selection-mode="multi"]) .container:before,
-:host([selection-mode="none"]) .container:before {
+.container--multi-selection:before,
+.container--none-selection:before {
   @apply hidden;
 }
 
 // single select "icon"
-:host([scale="s"]) .container:before {
+.container--s:before {
   left: theme("spacing.2");
 }
-:host([scale="m"]) .container:before {
+.container--m:before {
   left: theme("spacing.3");
 }
-:host([scale="l"]) .container:before {
+.container--l:before {
   left: theme("spacing.4");
 }
 
@@ -152,13 +152,13 @@
   left: unset;
 }
 
-:host([scale="s"]) .calcite--rtl:before {
+.container--s.calcite--rtl:before {
   right: theme("spacing.2");
 }
-:host([scale="m"]) .calcite--rtl:before {
+.container--m.calcite--rtl:before {
   right: theme("spacing.3");
 }
-:host([scale="l"]) .calcite--rtl:before {
+.container--l.calcite--rtl:before {
   right: theme("spacing.4");
 }
 
@@ -171,15 +171,15 @@
   transform: scale(0.9);
 }
 
-:host([scale="s"]) .dropdown-item-check-icon {
+.container--s .dropdown-item-check-icon {
   left: theme("spacing.1");
 }
 
-:host([scale="m"]) .dropdown-item-check-icon {
+.container--m .dropdown-item-check-icon {
   left: theme("spacing.2");
 }
 
-:host([scale="l"]) .dropdown-item-check-icon {
+.container--l .dropdown-item-check-icon {
   left: theme("spacing.3");
 }
 
@@ -189,15 +189,15 @@
   @apply ml-0;
 }
 
-:host([scale="s"]) .calcite--rtl .dropdown-item-check-icon {
+.container--s.calcite--rtl .dropdown-item-check-icon {
   right: theme("spacing.1");
 }
 
-:host([scale="m"]) .calcite--rtl .dropdown-item-check-icon {
+.container--m.calcite--rtl .dropdown-item-check-icon {
   right: theme("spacing.2");
 }
 
-:host([scale="l"]) .calcite--rtl .dropdown-item-check-icon {
+.container--l.calcite--rtl .dropdown-item-check-icon {
   right: theme("spacing.3");
 }
 
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@
 }
 
 // icon start & end
-:host([scale="s"]) {
+.container--s {
   .dropdown-item-icon-start {
     @apply mr-2;
   }
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@
   }
 }
 
-:host([scale="m"]) {
+.container--m {
   .dropdown-item-icon-start {
     @apply mr-3;
   }
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@
   }
 }
 
-:host([scale="l"]) {
+.container--l {
   .dropdown-item-icon-start {
     @apply mr-4;
   }
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@
   }
 }
 
-:host([scale="s"]) .calcite--rtl {
+.container--s.calcite--rtl {
   .dropdown-item-icon-start {
     @apply ml-2;
   }
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@
   }
 }
 
-:host([scale="m"]) .calcite--rtl {
+.container--m.calcite--rtl {
   .dropdown-item-icon-start {
     @apply ml-3;
   }
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@
   }
 }
 
-:host([scale="l"]) .calcite--rtl {
+.container--l.calcite--rtl {
   .dropdown-item-icon-start {
     @apply ml-4;
   }
diff --git a/src/components/calcite-dropdown-item/calcite-dropdown-item.tsx b/src/components/calcite-dropdown-item/calcite-dropdown-item.tsx
index 7e84fa866af..bd46f28e40d 100644
--- a/src/components/calcite-dropdown-item/calcite-dropdown-item.tsx
+++ b/src/components/calcite-dropdown-item/calcite-dropdown-item.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ import { ItemKeyboardEvent, ItemRegistration } from "../calcite-dropdown/interfa
 import { getKey } from "../../utils/key";
 import { FlipContext } from "../interfaces";
 import { CSS_UTILITY } from "../../utils/resources";
+import { CSS } from "./resources";
+import { SelectionMode } from "../calcite-dropdown-group/interfaces";
 
 @Component({
   tag: "calcite-dropdown-item",
@@ -167,15 +169,20 @@ export class CalciteDropdownItem {
     const itemAria = this.selectionMode !== "none" ? this.active.toString() : null;
 
     return (
-      <Host
-        aria-checked={itemAria}
-        isLink={this.href}
-        role={itemRole}
-        scale={scale}
-        selection-mode={this.selectionMode}
-        tabindex="0"
-      >
-        <div class={{ container: true, [CSS_UTILITY.rtl]: dir === "rtl" }}>
+      <Host aria-checked={itemAria} role={itemRole} tabindex="0">
+        <div
+          class={{
+            container: true,
+            [CSS_UTILITY.rtl]: dir === "rtl",
+            [CSS.containerLink]: !!this.href,
+            [CSS.containerSmall]: scale === "s",
+            [CSS.containerMedium]: scale === "m",
+            [CSS.containerLarge]: scale === "l",
+            [CSS.containerMulti]: this.selectionMode === "multi",
+            [CSS.containerSingle]: this.selectionMode === "single",
+            [CSS.containerNone]: this.selectionMode === "none"
+          }}
+        >
           {this.selectionMode === "multi" ? (
             <calcite-icon class="dropdown-item-check-icon" icon="check" scale="s" />
           ) : null}
@@ -254,7 +261,7 @@ export class CalciteDropdownItem {
   private requestedDropdownItem: HTMLCalciteDropdownItemElement;
 
   /** what selection mode is the parent dropdown group in */
-  private selectionMode: string;
+  private selectionMode: SelectionMode;
 
   /** if href is requested, track the rendered child link*/
   private childLink: HTMLAnchorElement;
diff --git a/src/components/calcite-dropdown-item/resources.ts b/src/components/calcite-dropdown-item/resources.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f10e7ed8612
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/calcite-dropdown-item/resources.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+export const CSS = {
+  containerLink: "container--link",
+  containerSmall: "container--s",
+  containerMedium: "container--m",
+  containerLarge: "container--l",
+  containerMulti: "container--multi-selection",
+  containerSingle: "container--single-selection",
+  containerNone: "container--none-selection"
+};