Underscores is a minimal starter theme designed for developers who want to build custom website themes from the ground up. It provides a clean, standards-compliant codebase that serves as a blank canvas, avoiding the bloat and rigid structures of pre-built themes. This tool is ideal for experienced theme developers who prefer to write their own CSS and functionality rather than modifying existing designs.

Key aspects of this starter theme include:

• Lean, Modern Codebase: The theme offers a just-right amount of well-commented, modern HTML5 templates and starter CSS. This organized foundation helps you start your design quickly without wrestling with unnecessary defaults.
• Development-Focused Features: It includes practical development aids like custom template tags to keep code clean and prevent duplication, a sample custom header implementation, and a script for mobile-friendly navigation menus.
• Flexible Layout Options: You receive two sample CSS layouts in the /layouts/ directory for placing a sidebar on either side of your content, providing a starting point for common structural patterns.
• Minimalist Philosophy: The ultra-minimal CSS and lack of preset styles are intentional. This 'theme tartare' approach means less pre-existing code to override, giving you complete creative control from the first line.
• Open Source License: The theme is licensed under GPLv2 or later, ensuring you can freely use, modify, and distribute your creations based on it.