Although you mentioned a preference to not utilize every style, I thought it may be beneficial to mention a class that could assist others. Essentially, this class can eliminate most inherited or predefined attributes. Simply apply the class to any element you wish to exclude. Here is an illustration:
.clear-styles {
background:none;
border:none;
bottom:auto;
clear:none;
cursor:default;
float:none;
font-size:medium;
font-style:normal;
font-weight:normal;
height:auto;
left:auto;
letter-spacing:normal;
line-height:normal;
max-height:none;
max-width:none;
min-height:0;
min-width:0;
overflow:visible;
position:static;
right:auto;
text-align:left;
text-decoration:none;
text-indent:0;
text-transform:none;
top:auto;
visibility:visible;
white-space:normal;
width:auto;
z-index:auto;
}
Simply add "clear-styles" and it should revert back to its original settings. You can then specify styles below this line to override those in the clear-styles class.
You also have the option to include a wildcard selector in the clear-styles class to target the element's children as well.
.clear-styles,
.clear-styles * { /*...etc */ }
NOTE: Wildcard selectors are supported by IE8+, so if you are designing for IE7 or lower, this may not be applicable.