<section class='post__content'>
	<p>Problem: we have a grid of fixed size thumbnails. For a nicer look, we want this grid to be middle aligned with respect to the paragraphs above and below, and, at the same time, we want the last grid row to be left-aligned with respect to the grid.</p>
	<div class='grid--thumbs'>
		<a href='#'>
			<img src='https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2017/17_05_a_amur_leopard_21.jpg'/>
		</a>
		<a href='#'>
			<img src='https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2017/17_05_a_amur_leopard_10.jpg'/>
		</a>
		<a href='#'>
			<img src='https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2017/17_05_a_amur_leopard_31.jpg'/>
		</a>
		<a href='#'>
			<img src='https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2017/17_05_a_amur_leopard_32.jpg'/>
		</a>
		<a href='#'>
			<img src='https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2017/17_05_a_amur_leopard_25.jpg'/>
		</a>
		<a href='#'>
			<img src='https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2017/17_05_a_amur_leopard_20.jpg'/>
		</a>
		<a href='#'>
			<img src='https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2017/17_05_a_amur_leopard_27.jpg'/>
		</a>
		<a href='#'>
			<img src='https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2017/17_05_a_amur_leopard_11.jpg'/>
		</a>
		<a href='#'>
			<img src='https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2017/17_05_a_amur_leopard_9.jpg'/>
		</a>
		<a href='#'>
			<img src='https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2017/17_05_a_amur_leopard_2.jpg'/>
		</a>
		<a href='#'>
			<img src='https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2017/17_05_a_amur_leopard_34.jpg'/>
		</a>
	</div>
	<p>❌ This demo serves the sole purpose of illustrating why the flexbox approach is not a good solution to this problem: leaving aside the fact that we don't really have a middle-aligned grid anymore, the technique only works if we're missing exactly one item to fill the last row. You probably don't want to copy and use this CSS in your own projects. ❌</p>
</section>

/* relevant styles */
.grid--thumbs {
	display: flex;
	flex-wrap: wrap;
	
	a, &::after {
		flex: 1;
		box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px purple
	}
	
	img { margin: auto }
	
	&::after { content: 'AFTER' }
}

/* prettifying styles */
* { margin: 0 }

.post__content {
	margin: 0 auto;
	padding: .5em;
	max-width: 61em;
	background: gainsboro;
	font: 1em/ 1.375em trebuchet ms, sans-serif;
	
	> * + * { margin-top: 1em }
}

.grid--thumbs {
	margin-left: -.125em;
	margin-right: -.125em;
	
	a, &::after { margin: .125em }
	
	img {
		display: block;
		width: 8em;
		box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px #000
	}
	
	&::after {
		display: flex;
		align-items: center;
		justify-content: center
	}
}