12 Photos of Milo Ventimiglia That Sum Up the Early 2000s

Gilmore Girls is back, giving longtime fans a major dose of nostalgia for that golden era known as the early aughts.

[...] for Gilmore Girls fans, no one person encapsulates this time more than Milo Ventimiglia, the actor who helped shape many Millennials' adolescence through his unforgettable portrayal of brooding bad boy/bookworm Jess Mariano.

Photos of Ventimiglia during his Gilmore Girls tenure are like a perfectly preserved time capsule of an era when Paris Hilton was still queen, Sidekicks were all the rage and every kid wished they could have the fast-talking, witty banter that Rory shared with Lorelai, and a bad boy of their own to steal their books and write notes in the margins.

In honor of Gilmore Girls' return, let's take a little journey together and look back at the early 2000s with Ventimiglia as our trusted guide.

Jess Mariano's very first appearance truly had it all: a puffy vest, a camo shirt, an oversized digital watch and a frickin' bracelet.

The fact that this was taken at a launch party for the T-Mobile Sidekick?

Nothing says "punk" more than wearing a t-shirt that literally says "punk" over a long-sleeved shirt.

Guys, we don't know if Ventimiglia has made this clear enough already: he was super into the Volcom trend, and he really wanted you to know that.