The structural factors influencing the self-assembly of aromatic side chain functionalized long chain acid salts into lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) phases were examined. Two sets of amphiphiles were synthesized containing two different ionic headgroups (i.e., sodium carboxylate and sodium sulfonate) and four different aromatic side chains (i.e., 4-styryl ether, 4-ethylphenyl ether, 1-naphthyl ether, and 4-phenylazophenyl ether) positioned at various locations along the amphiphile backbone. Systematic variation of the type of the aromatic side chain and its relative position on the amphiphile as a function of the two headgroups revealed that the position of the side chain on the amphiphile is the most important structural factor influencing the type and stability of the LLC phases formed. The nature of the aromatic side chain and the nature of the anionic headgroup play much more subtle roles in the LLC behavior of this particular amphiphile structural motif. Noncovalent aromatic-aromatic interactions are known to play important roles in the aggregation behavior of amphiphiles containing aromatic units along the alkyl chains; however, such interactions could not be detected spectroscopically in the LLC phases of our aromatic side chain amphiphiles. We speculate that the differences in alkyl chain interdigitation and packing efficiency arising from having the aromatic unit as a side chain rather than along the alkyl chains are responsible for this discrepancy. Control experiments with aliphatic ether side chain amphiphiles also corroborate the fact that aromatic interactions do not play a significant role in the aggregation behavior of these side chain amphiphiles. Side chain amphiphiles lacking an aromatic unit are still able to form the inverted hexagonal LLC phase, so long as the extent of branching and volume of. the aliphatic side chain are sufficient.