This post (linked below) by Sarah Dayan is a really good take on how utility classes are not the same as inline styles. I believe the rise of tools like Tailwindcss has pushed the bounds of what is possible with CSS utilities.
back to blog 
developmentMay 30, 2021 · 1 min read
No, Utility Classes Aren't the Same As Inline Styles (by Sarah Dayan)
A link to Sarah Dayan's post making the case that utility classes are fundamentally different from inline styles — and why the rise of Tailwind CSS has made this distinction more important than ever.
Dan Holloran
Senior Frontend & Fullstack Developer