The use of surfactant mesophases such as vesicular and lyotropic mesophases as templates for the preparation of nanostructured polymers by polymerization is reviewed. Recent developments using polymerizable and polymeric surfactants in mesophase formation and polymerization are also represented with examples. The formations of various novel materials including nanocapsules, vesicle-polymer architecture, mesoporous polymers and functional nano-composites which would be unobtainable through conventional techniques are highlighted. The effects of reaction thermodynamics and kinetics on templated polymerizations are also discussed.