After page postback, DropDownList item attributes "color" cleared ?

DropDownList1.SelectedItem.Attributes.Add("style", "Color:GREEN")
This is set when a person clicks a button, "resubmit order"... then the selected item is turned green so they know they've already fixed that order item.
Now if I select a different item, the page posts back to grab new information for another order...., but the previously set dropdownlist item, is no longer green.
I'm not refilling the dropdown, if the postback=true, so I have no idea why the viewstate is not keeping the attributes of the dropdown list items.
How can I preserve the color of dropdownlist items, after a postback ?

----------------------

Try this:
Protected Sub Page_PreRender(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
    For Each index As Integer In Me.SelectedItems
        DropDownList1.Items(index).Attributes.Add("style", "Color:GREEN;background:red")
    Next
End Sub

Protected Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
    'DropDownList1.SelectedItem.Attributes.Add("style", "Color:GREEN");
    Dim selecteditems As List(Of Integer) = Me.SelectedItems
    selecteditems.Add(DropDownList1.SelectedIndex)
    Me.SelectedItems = selecteditems
End Sub

Private _SelectedItems As List(Of Integer)
Public Property SelectedItems() As List(Of Integer)
    Get
        If ViewState("SelectedItems") IsNot Nothing Then
            _SelectedItems = DirectCast(ViewState("SelectedItems"), List(Of Integer))
        Else
            _SelectedItems = New List(Of Integer)()
        End If
        Return _SelectedItems
    End Get
    Set(ByVal value As List(Of Integer))
        ViewState("SelectedItems") = value
    End Set
End Property

 

http://forums.asp.net/p/1159612/1913450.aspx

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Programming/Languages/.NET/ASP.NET/Q_25339597.html