FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif.--Sunwear maker/retailer Oakley had a 15.6 percent increase in net sales in its third quarter ended Sept. 30, to a record $173.4 million. Net income was $15 million in the quarter, up 31.6 percent.

In the period, Oakley’s U.S. sales rose 20.1 percent to $91.3 million; international sales were $82.1 million, up 11 percent.

The company’s sales through its U.S. retail units--98 Iacon sunwear stores and 44 O locations--rose 46.3 percent in the third quarter, to $27.5 million. Oakley added five new O stores and seven Iacon units during the quarter.

Global sales to Luxottica Group’s Luxottica Retail division increased 66 percent in the period, to $8.8 million, representing 5.1 percent of Oakley’s total net sales.

In the first nine months of 2005, Oakley’s net sales were $485.7 million, up from $432.5 million in last year’s first nine months. Net income for the nine-month period was $42.6 million, compared to $31.6 million the prior year.

Global net sales to Luxottica in the first nine months of 2005 were $35.5 million, an increase of 1.7 percent; those revenues represented 7.3 percent of Oakley’s total net sales in the nine-month period.

Oakley said its net sales growth for the full year 2005 is now expected to be at the lower end of a 10 percent to 15 percent range over 2004; previously the company had predicted a sales increase at the high end of the same 10 percent to 15 percent range.

The company still expects 2005 earnings growth over 2004 at the high end of a range of 25 percent to 30 percent.

Last month Oakley appointed Richard Shields as its chief financial officer, as of Nov. 3. In his new role, Shields--who Oakley said has more than 20 years of senior financial experience--now oversees the company’s finance and accounting functions.