Several near-monodisperse polystyrene (PS) latexes from 200 nm to 310 nm diameter were prepared by emulsion copolymerization of styrene monomer with divinylbenzene using a poly(ethylene glycol) monomethacrylate (PEGMA) macromonomer and α,α'-azodiisobutyramidine dihydrochloride (AIBA), a cationic initiator. Each latex proved to be an effective particulate stabilizer for the production of long-lived foams by either hand-shaking or using foam columns. SEM studies confirmed that each dried foam contained well-defined latex bilayers, suggesting that the original air bubbles were stabilized with latex monolayers. Dried foams prepared using these latexes exhibited interesting optical effects when viewed in reflectance mode. This is most likely due to light diffraction by the latex bilayers, since the colour is varying with the mean latex diameter and is approximately half the wavelength of visible light. These PEGMA-PS particles exhibit a pH-dependence depending on the surface charge which becomes anionic at high pH.