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"It's very, very common on the west coast, quite literally ALWAYS used in a pejorative (or at least mockingly pejorative) sense, and almost always used in conjunction with "all", ie "all gussied up".
My experience, as well. Raised on the west coast (California), and heard it all my life, in the context you gave.
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Helen, a tip of my hat to you. I have always associated 'gussied up' with 'gusset'. A gusset may be used for other purposes than in clothing. It may be quite a large piece used to extend or widen something; e.g., theatrical scenery.
What comes to my mind when I hear the term is those incredible Victorian ladies' dresses with the rows of ruching, flouncing, darts and -- here it comes -- let-in panels, or gussets.
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Carpal Tunnel
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in the late 1960's, there was a simplicity patttern that had gussets at the waist, of a semi fitted dress.. the suggestion was for a light main color, and a dark constrasting color.. the waist gussets were diamond shaped, and pointed in.. something like this. | |
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sort of shape at the waist, with the side panels in a dark color..
it whittled inches off the waist visually!
Most commonly, i have seen (and used gussets) in the underarm area, to give a neat underarm in a dolman or cap sleeve.
I never thought about them in theatrical scenery!
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Carpal Tunnel
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Haven't heard the term used for years but it was common in the 1950s. Sometimes used in a self-deprecatory way -
"I got myself all gussied up for the party and my date never showed up."
"All gussied up and no place to go!"
Here's a related (?) term - godet. A bias-cut piece of material - triangular in shape - inserted in a dress.
I had an evening gown of lace that had layered godets of "illusion" (very fine, thin and transparent kind of tulle) from just below the knees to the floor. It gave a full and feminine effect to the gown. Very pretty and it had a lovely flowing movement when I walked!
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layered godets of "illusion" (very fine, thin and transparent
Ah, doubtless the origin of Weighting for Godet ;)
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Carpal Tunnel
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Gro-an--n--n... 
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"Nobody could love a freak like Gussie except a similar freak like the Bassett. The shot wasn't on the board. A splendid chap, of course, in many ways -- courteous, amiable, and just the fellow to tell you what to do till the doctor came, if you had a sick newt on your hands -- but quite obviously not of Mendelssohn's March timbre. I have no doubt that you could have flung bricks by the hour in England's most densely-populated districts without endangering the safety of a single girl capable of becoming Mrs Augustus Fink-Nottle without anaesthetic."
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