diff --git a/builtins/src/main/java/org/jline/builtins/Commands.java b/builtins/src/main/java/org/jline/builtins/Commands.java
index c872d20b3..d18c0d4c5 100644
--- a/builtins/src/main/java/org/jline/builtins/Commands.java
+++ b/builtins/src/main/java/org/jline/builtins/Commands.java
@@ -190,9 +190,7 @@ public static void history(LineReader reader, PrintStream out, PrintStream err,
         for (History.Entry entry : history) {
             AttributedStringBuilder sb = new AttributedStringBuilder();
             sb.append("  ");
-            sb.style(AttributedStyle.BOLD);
-            sb.append(String.format("%3d", entry.index() + 1));
-            sb.style(AttributedStyle.DEFAULT);
+            sb.styled(AttributedStyle::bold, String.format("%3d", entry.index() + 1));
             if (opt.isSet("d")) {
                 sb.append("  ");
                 LocalTime lt = LocalTime.from(entry.time().atZone(ZoneId.systemDefault()))
diff --git a/builtins/src/main/java/org/jline/builtins/Completers.java b/builtins/src/main/java/org/jline/builtins/Completers.java
index 7d21ea8af..50a172b2f 100644
--- a/builtins/src/main/java/org/jline/builtins/Completers.java
+++ b/builtins/src/main/java/org/jline/builtins/Completers.java
@@ -343,16 +343,12 @@ protected String getDisplay(Terminal terminal, Path p) {
             String name = p.getFileName().toString();
             if (Files.isDirectory(p)) {
                 AttributedStringBuilder sb = new AttributedStringBuilder();
-                sb.style(AttributedStyle.BOLD.foreground(AttributedStyle.RED));
-                sb.append(name);
-                sb.style(AttributedStyle.DEFAULT);
+                sb.styled(AttributedStyle.BOLD.foreground(AttributedStyle.RED), name);
                 sb.append("/");
                 name = sb.toAnsi(terminal);
             } else if (Files.isSymbolicLink(p)) {
                 AttributedStringBuilder sb = new AttributedStringBuilder();
-                sb.style(AttributedStyle.BOLD.foreground(AttributedStyle.RED));
-                sb.append(name);
-                sb.style(AttributedStyle.DEFAULT);
+                sb.styled(AttributedStyle.BOLD.foreground(AttributedStyle.RED), name);
                 sb.append("@");
                 name = sb.toAnsi(terminal);
             }
diff --git a/reader/src/main/java/org/jline/reader/impl/DefaultHighlighter.java b/reader/src/main/java/org/jline/reader/impl/DefaultHighlighter.java
index af30dcd0a..943c611e0 100644
--- a/reader/src/main/java/org/jline/reader/impl/DefaultHighlighter.java
+++ b/reader/src/main/java/org/jline/reader/impl/DefaultHighlighter.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 import org.jline.reader.Highlighter;
 import org.jline.utils.AttributedString;
 import org.jline.utils.AttributedStringBuilder;
+import org.jline.utils.AttributedStyle;
 import org.jline.utils.WCWidth;
 
 public class DefaultHighlighter implements Highlighter {
@@ -51,19 +52,19 @@ public AttributedString highlight(LineReader reader, String buffer) {
         AttributedStringBuilder sb = new AttributedStringBuilder();
         for (int i = 0; i < buffer.length(); i++) {
             if (i == underlineStart) {
-                sb.style(sb.style().underline());
+                sb.style(AttributedStyle::underline);
             }
             if (i == negativeStart) {
-                sb.style(sb.style().inverse());
+                sb.style(AttributedStyle::inverse);
             }
             char c = buffer.charAt(i);
             if (c == '\t' || c == '\n') {
                 sb.append(c);
             } else if (c < 32) {
-                sb.style(sb.style().inverseNeg())
+                sb.style(AttributedStyle::inverseNeg)
                         .append('^')
                         .append((char) (c + '@'))
-                        .style(sb.style().inverseNeg());
+                        .style(AttributedStyle::inverseNeg);
             } else {
                 int w = WCWidth.wcwidth(c);
                 if (w > 0) {
@@ -71,10 +72,10 @@ public AttributedString highlight(LineReader reader, String buffer) {
                 }
             }
             if (i == underlineEnd) {
-                sb.style(sb.style().underlineOff());
+                sb.style(AttributedStyle::underlineOff);
             }
             if (i == negativeEnd) {
-                sb.style(sb.style().inverseOff());
+                sb.style(AttributedStyle::inverseOff);
             }
         }
         return sb.toAttributedString();
diff --git a/reader/src/main/java/org/jline/reader/impl/completer/FileNameCompleter.java b/reader/src/main/java/org/jline/reader/impl/completer/FileNameCompleter.java
index c1c948c3c..cf270e66b 100644
--- a/reader/src/main/java/org/jline/reader/impl/completer/FileNameCompleter.java
+++ b/reader/src/main/java/org/jline/reader/impl/completer/FileNameCompleter.java
@@ -113,16 +113,12 @@ protected String getDisplay(Terminal terminal, Path p) {
         String name = p.getFileName().toString();
         if (Files.isDirectory(p)) {
             AttributedStringBuilder sb = new AttributedStringBuilder();
-            sb.style(AttributedStyle.BOLD.foreground(AttributedStyle.RED));
-            sb.append(name);
-            sb.style(AttributedStyle.DEFAULT);
+            sb.styled(AttributedStyle.BOLD.foreground(AttributedStyle.RED), name);
             sb.append("/");
             name = sb.toAnsi(terminal);
         } else if (Files.isSymbolicLink(p)) {
             AttributedStringBuilder sb = new AttributedStringBuilder();
-            sb.style(AttributedStyle.BOLD.foreground(AttributedStyle.RED));
-            sb.append(name);
-            sb.style(AttributedStyle.DEFAULT);
+            sb.styled(AttributedStyle.BOLD.foreground(AttributedStyle.RED), name);
             sb.append("@");
             name = sb.toAnsi(terminal);
         }
diff --git a/terminal/src/main/java/org/jline/utils/AttributedStringBuilder.java b/terminal/src/main/java/org/jline/utils/AttributedStringBuilder.java
index cc6a9bdd2..103ba60c3 100644
--- a/terminal/src/main/java/org/jline/utils/AttributedStringBuilder.java
+++ b/terminal/src/main/java/org/jline/utils/AttributedStringBuilder.java
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@
 package org.jline.utils;
 
 import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.function.Consumer;
+import java.util.function.Function;
+import java.util.function.Supplier;
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
@@ -106,6 +109,27 @@ public AttributedStringBuilder style(AttributedStyle style) {
         return this;
     }
 
+    public AttributedStringBuilder style(Function<AttributedStyle,AttributedStyle> style) {
+        current = style.apply(current);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public AttributedStringBuilder styled(Function<AttributedStyle,AttributedStyle> style, CharSequence cs) {
+        return styled(style, sb -> sb.append(cs));
+    }
+
+    public AttributedStringBuilder styled(AttributedStyle style, CharSequence cs) {
+        return styled(s -> style, sb -> sb.append(cs));
+    }
+
+    public AttributedStringBuilder styled(Function<AttributedStyle,AttributedStyle> style, Consumer<AttributedStringBuilder> consumer) {
+        AttributedStyle prev = current;
+        current = style.apply(prev);
+        consumer.accept(this);
+        current = prev;
+        return this;
+    }
+
     public AttributedStyle style() {
         return current;
     }