Update – Newest Way

Don’t do it, if you can avoid it. As Devon Sans points out in the comments: This feature will most likely be deprecated.

Last Update

From Angular 4.3.0 till even now (Angular 12.x), all piercing css combinators were deprecated. Angular team introduced a new combinator ::ng-deep as shown below,

DEMO : https://plnkr.co/edit/RBJIszu14o4svHLQt563?p=preview

styles: [
    `
     :host { color: red; }
     
     :host ::ng-deep parent {
       color:blue;
     }
     :host ::ng-deep child{
       color:orange;
     }
     :host ::ng-deep child.class1 {
       color:yellow;
     }
     :host ::ng-deep child.class2{
       color:pink;
     }
    `
],



template: `
      Angular2                                //red
      <parent>                                //blue
          <child></child>                     //orange
          <child class="class1"></child>      //yellow
          <child class="class2"></child>      //pink
      </parent>      
    `

---

Old way

You can use encapsulation mode and/or piercing CSS combinators >>>, /deep/ and ::shadow

working example : http://plnkr.co/edit/1RBDGQ?p=preview

styles: [
    `
     :host { color: red; }
     :host >>> parent {
       color:blue;
     }
     :host >>> child{
       color:orange;
     }
     :host >>> child.class1 {
       color:yellow;
     }
     :host >>> child.class2{
       color:pink;
     }
    `
    ],

template: `
  Angular2                                //red
  <parent>                                //blue
      <child></child>                     //orange
      <child class="class1"></child>      //yellow
      <child class="class2"></child>      //pink
  </parent>      
`