jQuery find only not nested elements -

given html structure

<div class="item">     <div class="item">         select me         <div class="item">don't select me</div>     </div>     <span>         <div class="item">select me</div>     </span> </div> 

and jquery:

var firstitem = $('.item:first'); var selector = firstitem.find('.item'); selector.css('color', 'red'); 

i looking way mark not nested .item elements inside firstitem div. tricky part here firstitem (or can be) nested in .item class.

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what have tried?

firstitem.find('.item').not('.item .item') 

this not work because first level starting in .item class. , can nested x times .item .item .item .item or whatever. , starting element not have id cannot use in selector well.

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i think solution should reversed .closest() travels down dom , not search contents of found item.

prepared jsfiddle here: http://jsfiddle.net/lwmy3/2/

try

var firstitem = $('.item:first'); $(firstitem).find(".item").each(function () {     //console.log($(this).parent(".item")[0])     if ($(this).parent(".item")[0] === undefined) {         $(this).css('color', 'red')     } else if ($(this).parent(".item")[0] != $(firstitem)[0]) {         $(this).css('color', 'cyan')     } else {         $(this).css('color', 'red')     } }); 

fiddle