Though there’s definitely differences in how cotton wears, I’m not sure there’s a strong correlation with what grade it is.

I have a few pure cotton undershirts and tshirts I picked up at the equivalent of a dollar store for ¥100 a piece as a broke college student in Japan around a decade ago, and while they’re showing plenty of wear from having seen hundreds of workout hours and laundry cycles, they’re not exhibiting pilling or texture change at all.